Morning light pierced the haze like spears. The battlefield smoked from last night's clash—void beast corpses dissolving into black mist, immortal remnants still faintly glowing in craters. Squad 7 moved slower today, bruised and weary, but alive.
Thanks to one "lucky" harvester.
Lin Hao kept his routine: drag bodies, fake exhaustion, slip in quiet touches when no one watched. But the stares had changed.
Little Fatty now walked beside him, chattering like they'd been brothers for years.
"Brother Lin, that spear thrust last night? Clean! You gotta teach me sometime. My arms feel like noodles after one swing."
Lin Hao forced a weak smile. "Just... adrenaline. Anyone could do it if they were desperate."
Guo grunted from ahead. "Desperate my ass. You blocked a void claw bare-handed. That's not normal, kid."
Captain Wei limped over mid-morning, ledger in hand, expression unreadable.
"Lin Hao."
"Sir?"
"Word reached the rear command post. Your 'lucky' kill on the shadow panther. They want details."
Lin Hao's stomach tightened. Already?
Wei continued. "Legion merit system: beast slayer gets points. Enough points, promotion. Command's offering you a transfer—auxiliary combat squad. Better rations, light armor, and a chance at real cultivation resources. No more corpse dragging."
The squad went quiet.
Little Fatty's eyes widened. "Promotion? Brother Lin, that's huge!"
Guo muttered, "From harvester to fighter... lucky bastard."
Lin Hao bowed his head quickly. "Captain, I... I appreciate it. But I'm no warrior. Last night was fluke. I'd be dead weight in combat. Please, let me stay here. Survival matters most. Harvester work suits me."
Wei studied him. "No ambition at all?"
"None, sir. Just want to live long and quiet."
A long pause. Wei sighed. "Humble. Or smart. But command doesn't take no for an answer easily. They're sending an evaluator tomorrow—some mid-realm sergeant from the Immortal Guard. You'll demonstrate. If you pass, promotion's mandatory. Fail... back to normal, I guess."
Lin Hao's mind raced.
Demonstrate? In front of higher realm eyes?
He could fake weakness, but if they pushed... his current stats (Strength nearing 400, Vitality over 470, lifespan past 2,600 years) would be hard to hide completely.
Still—promotion meant access to bigger battlefields. More elite corpses. More immortals falling in the front lines. Riskier, but richer.
He nodded meekly. "Understood, sir. I'll... do my best."
As Wei walked away, the squad buzzed.
Little Fatty slapped his back. "Brother, even if you get promoted, don't forget us little guys!"
Lin Hao chuckled weakly. "Won't happen. I'm staying low."
But opportunity knocked sooner than expected.
Mid-afternoon, while clearing a fresh crater cluster from the night's void incursion, he spotted it: a cluster of mid-tier remnants. Three fallen cultivators—Core Formation mid-stage—bodies mangled but qi cores intact, glowing softly under the mud.
No squad nearby. Rain starting again, masking sounds.
Lin Hao knelt, pretending to check for loot, and touched the first.
[Harvested mid-tier cultivator remnant (Core Formation Mid)]
[+95 Strength]
[+80 Agility]
[+110 Vitality]
[+70 Soul Power]
[+650 Lifespan]
[Bonus: Core intact – Auto-absorb 10% qi for passive cultivation boost (7 days)]
Second body.
[+105 Strength]
[+85 Agility]
[+125 Vitality]
[+75 Soul Power]
[+720 Lifespan]
Third.
[+100 Strength]
[+90 Agility]
[+115 Vitality]
[+80 Soul Power]
[+680 Lifespan]
[Milestone: 10 mid-tier harvests total – Reward: Immortal Foundation Seed (Lv.1) – Begins forming pseudo-immortal body. +50% resistance to realm suppression]
The surges hit in waves. Lin Hao bit his lip to stay silent as power flooded him.
Updated status:
[Strength: 693]
[Agility: 522]
[Vitality: 823]
[Soul Power: 477]
[Lifespan: 4,692 years, 14 days]
He felt it—bones hardening toward immortal grade, qi naturally circulating in meridians he hadn't even opened yet. The Immortal Foundation Seed hummed in his dantian like a tiny sun.
Four thousand years... and climbing.
He quickly camouflaged the bodies, dragged a few mortal ones over them. By the time he returned to the squad, he looked as filthy and tired as ever.
But Captain Wei noticed.
"You're breathing easier. No cough."
Lin Hao rasped. "Maybe the rain's clearing the miasma, sir."
Wei didn't push. But his eyes lingered.
As dusk fell, scouts reported: the evaluator would arrive at dawn. A Core Formation peak sergeant—strong enough to sense lies, qi fluctuations, hidden strength.
Lin Hao lay under his thin blanket that night, staring at the stars.
Tomorrow, I demonstrate. Can't show too much... but can't fail completely. Balance it. Let them think I'm a 'talented mortal' with luck and hidden potential.
More battle drums echoed far off. Another wave brewing.
More corpses incoming.
Promotion pressure? Fine.
It just meant bigger harvests ahead.
He closed his eyes, a faint smile on his lips.
The war never ends.
Neither does my longevity.