The reason Wu Chen hadn't chosen to continue traveling at night as usual was that he had noticed the corpse demons were rapidly increasing in number.
Not only were they growing in number, but these beasts were also getting closer to the refugee group than before.
Wu Chen suspected the corpse demons' attack would come within the next two days.
If they continued forward rashly, out in the vast, exposed barren lands, they might be completely devoured, with nothing left behind.
But if they relied on the village's terrain and used the walls to maneuver and block the corpse demons' assault, there might still be a glimmer of hope.
As he pondered, the flickering firefly-like lights in the distance grew larger, and the rancid stench carried by the night wind became more pungent.
The corpse demons were getting closer to the village.
"It seems... it will be tonight?"
"Much earlier than I expected."
The putrid smell jolted Wu Chen alert.
He dropped his casual demeanor, blew on his palms, and rubbed them together vigorously.
Looking at the shadowy figures crawling and gathering from the darkness, somehow an unnamed rage rose within him.
He thought about how he had been in danger since arriving in this world, narrowly escaping.
After several days, his cultivation realm had soared, transforming from an ordinary person to a warrior of the Body Tempering Realm Sixth Layer.
Yet his situation hadn't changed one bit—still struggling for survival.
"Damn it, so my advancement was all for nothing!"
Wu Chen grew increasingly irritated.
Looking at the distant figures, he spat viciously:
"Damn this wretched life, I've had enough of it!"
"I might as well kill a couple of these beasts to vent my anger!"
Shing!
He drew his saber, looking at the approaching corpse demon horde, steeling his resolve to kill at least a couple of corpse demons for satisfaction.
And maybe see if they dropped any good items.
"Aoowu—"
Perhaps sensing Wu Chen's killing intent, a resounding howl came from within the corpse demon horde.
As the sound fell, five figures flashed out from the group, charging toward the saber-wielding silhouette at the village entrance.
These were scouts, the first wave of the corpse demons' probing attack on the village.
The night wind carried a thick, putrid stench. The five crawling figures, their eyes trailing green afterimages that tore through the darkness, clawed deep furrows in the mud with their limbs.
Unlike the mindless people seen earlier, these corpse demons were more like beasts, moving with wild ferocity.
Wu Chen stepped back slightly to neutralize the incoming force, his heel sinking half an inch into the soil, his bony finger joints making crisp sounds.
Aoao!
The corpse demon leading the charge moved so fast it left afterimages in the darkness. Its mouth, filled with sharp teeth, opened wide, its rotting throat squeezing out a piercing shriek.
"Come on!"
Prepared for battle, Wu Chen naturally understood the principle of putting life and death aside.
With a low shout, his entire body tensed like iron. Instead of retreating, he advanced, meeting the onrushing figures head-on.
The first to confront him was the fastest corpse demon. As it lunged with its gaping maw, Wu Chen simply responded with a straightforward move.
Compared to using a saber, he was more skilled with fists and palms.
Seeing the lunging corpse demon, he extended his bony, clearly-articulated hand.
With just a simple grip, he precisely caught the airborne, momentum-locked corpse demon by the throat, suspending it in midair with one hand.
With its fate's throat gripped, the corpse demon sensed great danger and struggled desperately.
Driven by battle instinct, its sharp, mutated fingers, like keen daggers, slashed ferociously toward Wu Chen's chest.
Wu Chen wore no armor, only a few tattered rough clothes for protection. If this slash connected, he would lose his heart and lungs to the corpse demon.
Seeing the cold glint of the claws, Wu Chen's expression remained unchanged as the five fingers gripping the corpse demon's throat suddenly exerted force.
The strength of nearly three hundred and fifty kilograms from the Body Tempering Realm Sixth Layer converged at his fingertips, enough to crush stone—let alone a throat bone.
Crack!
With a crisp sound, the corpse demon in his hand went limp, the green light in its eyes fading.
Victorious in the first encounter, Wu Chen didn't lower his guard, though he felt the corpse demons weren't so formidable after all.
He smashed the corpse in his hand toward the two nearest corpse demons running side by side, hoping to push them back and avoid being surrounded.
Seeing the dark figure flying toward them, the two corpse demons moved nimbly, trying to dodge left and right to continue encircling Wu Chen.
But Wu Chen was faster.
Before the thrown corpse had even hit the ground, he had already reached the two dodging corpse demons.
Silver light flashed!
The saber wind whistled between the necks of the two corpse demons.
Wu Chen didn't know any saber techniques, but his arms wielded the blade with tremendous strength and imposing momentum.
When technique is lacking, brute force compensates.
This single strike was enough to behead the corpse demons!
Besides, after his fight with Liu Linshan's disciples and his daily saber practice in recent days, he had gained some experience with the weapon.
Under the moonlight, the silver blade traced an arc through the air.
Before the two corpse demons could react, their necks were hit by a brutal force, their heads literally torn from their necks.
Such was the power of Wu Chen's strike!
In an instant, three of the five corpse demon scouts in the night had become corpses.
The seemingly simple attack—just a grab and squeeze, a throw and a chop—had consumed half of Wu Chen's strength and focus.
"Huff!" Wu Chen exhaled white mist.
But before he could catch his breath, two more nauseating gusts of foul wind climbed up his spine!
The remaining two corpse demons had circled behind him unnoticed.
One aimed for the back of Wu Chen's neck, the other for his ankles.
If either bite connected, Wu Chen would surely die tonight.
As if having eyes on his back, Wu Chen's toes touched the ground, and he leaped three feet into the air while nimbly twisting his body.
One leg swung out like a circular iron whip, viciously striking the airborne corpse demon.
The corpse demon in mid-air had nowhere to dodge and had to take the hit.
Smack!
With a muffled sound, its body shot uncontrollably like a cannonball toward the ground, creating a tremor upon impact.
With most of its skeleton shattered, it lay motionless.
Having dealt with the aerial threat, Wu Chen looked down at the ground.
There was still one corpse demon that had missed his ankle.
He remained perfectly calm, his wrist nimbly turning as he flipped the steel saber, pointing its tip straight down.
Slish!
With the tremendous momentum of his landing and the weight of his descending body, the palm-wide blade pierced through skin and flesh without any resistance, sliding smoothly into the corpse demon's body.
Under the enormous force, the blade continued without slowing, easily penetrating the corpse demon's body and pinning it firmly to the ground.
"Wuaowuao..."
The corpse demon frantically kicked its limbs, letting out a miserable wail.
Although its body had been impaled by the steel saber, it still displayed astonishing vitality, struggling to rise from the ground.
Wu Chen simply placed his foot lightly on its neck, crushing it and ending its struggle.
With this, all five corpse demon scouts had been slain.
Silence fell around him, and even the restless corpse demons watching from a distance momentarily fell quiet.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
Wu Chen pulled his saber from the corpse, flicked off the foul-smelling blood, and with light steps, kicked the five corpse demon bodies toward the distant horde.
Looking at the silhouettes hidden in the hazy darkness, his desire for slaughter kept rising.
Even though he had expended most of his internal energy, he still planned to kill a few more corpse demons to satisfy his urge.
Wuwu!
As if responding to his thoughts, several high-pitched howls suddenly came from the darkness, followed by the sound of heavy footsteps shaking the ground.
Just as Wu Chen stood ready with his saber, eagerly anticipating a good fight,
He was surprised to discover...
Those ghostly flickering eyes had returned to the size of fireflies, before finally disappearing into the darkness.
The corpse demons had temporarily retreated.