When he was about halfway through his calisthenics progress, he suddenly heard a loud bell ringing.
Tunnn... The bell rang continuously three more times.
When Shen Yue heard those three continuous rings, his heart sank into darkness. That bell was a mysterious emergency signal — ringing three times meant the situation was extremely serious. Everyone had to gather at the open ground immediately, no matter if they were injured or not.
This was the first time the bell had rung three times in over a hundred years. The last time it rang was a century ago.
Without wasting a second, Shen Yue hurried toward the open ground. There, he saw a crowd of soldiers, commanders, generals, and even the chief — no one was absent.
It was the first time he had ever seen all the higher authorities gathered in one place.
He also noticed the massive bell itself — at least twenty meters long, adorned with ancient patterns that shimmered faintly in the fading light.
Soon, the chief commander appeared at the center of the stage. His body was mountain-like, imposing, and his face grave as he spoke.
"Our outer city military base is currently under fierce attack by the Barbarian horde. Our soldiers are holding, but barely—they are at their limits. The military barricade is on the verge of collapse. Everyone must move quickly to the battlefield. Anyone who defies this order will be executed on the spot, and their entire family will be thrown into prison and declared traitors."
The soldiers clenched their jaws tightly, faces ashen like the dead. No one dared defy the order — especially since their families lived in the outer city.
Hearing this, Shen Yue clicked his tongue in frustration. His training period was almost over, but he'd been dragged into this mess prematurely. His injury wasn't fully healed yet — that was why his system hadn't granted him the Qi Absorption 3rd Realm power he was supposed to receive after extracting from the battlefield. If he had that power, his chances of survival would have increased drastically. Instead, he was just cannon fodder, thrown into the storm. What rotten luck.
After the commander finished explaining the situation, incharge of Shen Yue squad quickly issued orders for their squad to move to the battlefield.
As he was about to leave, his uncle suddenly appeared, grabbing him without a word. Surprised, Shen Yue hesitated.
"Where are we going?" he asked, trying to stop.
His uncle cut him off, voice low but urgent, "I know what you want to ask, but there's no time to explain. My team is missing one member. You can join us directly."
He looked Shen Yue in the eye. "And I can keep you safe out there."
Relief washed over Shen Yue, and he let out a quiet sigh.
Without attracting attention, they regrouped and Shen Yue silently joined his uncle's team. Their bond was close, and now they moved together toward the battlefield.
When they arrived, Shen Yue saw the true horror of war: the battlefield was vast—at least the size of fifty football fields—and scattered with corpses and pools of blood. Barbarians and soldiers fought with their lives on the line.
Noticing Shen Yue's shaken state, his uncle placed a steady hand on his shoulder.
Feeling the firm grip, Shen Yue calmed his racing heart, though inside, chaos raged. This was his first time witnessing battle firsthand. Memories of previous lives offered no real experience—he was just a pawn.
He shook off the fear and made a silent vow.
*Do or die.*
His uncle handed him a weapon—a longsword.
Though the predecessor in his memory had wielded a sword, he had never been good at it.
But with his current body, sword was the only option.
The moment Shen Yue gripped the sword, a strange sensation flooded his blood. It was as if he'd been practicing swordsmanship for years, the blade feeling like an extension of his own body. This was a feeling his original self had never known.
Perhaps it was his sword talent—the highest in his talent section—that awakened this bond.
Soon, a group of barbarians approached, equal in number. The fight erupted when one barbarian charged.
His uncle stepped forward, shielding Shen Yue.
The uncle's sword flashed, cutting down several barbarians, but the enemy's power was stronger than their team's.
Surrounded by two barbarians, his uncle's energy began to wane, deep cuts appearing on his body.
Shen Yue was worried but held onto a sliver of confidence—his uncle was a 9th-grade Blood Qi Realm warrior; the opponents were only 8th-grade.
Both sides were injured, but soon his uncle's wounds worsened.
Gathering courage, Shen Yue gripped his sword tighter, waiting for the right moment.
Less than a minute later, his uncle kicked one barbarian away and grappled with the other.
Seeing this, Shen Yue knew it was *now* or never.
Taking a deep breath, he moved with the speed and precision of a lone wolf.
He lunged forward, piercing the heart of the first barbarian with his last ounce of strength.
The barbarian screamed, distracted, and the second one faltered.
Seizing the moment, Shen Yue decapitated him in one swift strike.
He sank to the ground beside the corpse, staring blankly.
His uncle came to him, placing hands on his shoulders.
"Good job, brat," he said with a rare smile. "Without your help, we both would have lost our lives."
Shen Yue knew it was his uncle's way of calming him, but it felt good to hear.
Meanwhile, the rest of their team finished their battles, though the casualties were heavy.
Only 29 of the original 40 survived—and the war raged on.
Shen Yue got to his feet, feeling his senses sharpen strangely.
He quickly checked his system; a new skill had appeared in the skill section:
**Skill: Hyper Sense (Entry) (3%)**
Mentally selecting it, the information popped up.
*Hyper Sense: A skill that heightens senses and allows the user to mask their presence.*
Recognizing its value, Shen Yue smiled slightly.
This was a god-level skill—perfect for the battlefield.
He closed the system quickly, knowing now was no time to rely on it openly.
Just as he started moving, a sudden *thud* echoed behind him.
Turning, he saw his uncle collapse on the ground, blood pooling from a grievous wound in his back.
His breath was faint, fading fast.
If Shen Yue didn't act immediately, his uncle would surely die.
Before he could think further, a scream tore through the air.
"Enemy attack! Retreat!"