The first night at the border was nothing as I expected.
The camp slept under a blood-red moon. Cold wind rolled across the wasteland, carrying the smell of dried blood and iron. Prisoners groaned in their sleep, and even the guards kept their weapons close. Somewhere beyond the walls, beasts howled.
I sat cross-legged in the shabby tent, circulating my breath with the Mythic Scripture of Origin. My new strength felt raw but alive — like fire under my skin. Yue Zhilan stood watch outside, silent as the night, her silver spear gleaming faintly under the moon.
Suddenly, the system's cold voice rang in my mind.
"Ding! Mission update: Survive the border for three days. Optional objective: Eliminate incoming beast raid."
Before I could react, a roar shook the ground.
Screams echoed from the camp wall. I rushed outside to see chaos — several horned wolf beasts had broken through the barriers, tearing through guards and prisoners alike.
Their eyes glowed red, filled with hunger and madness. Each one was the size of a horse. They weren't ordinary beasts—the system marked them as Low-Grade Demonic Beasts, some already at the Spirit Awakening Realm.
Around them, men fled. Spears clattered. Fires spread.
"Yue Zhilan!" I shouted. "Let's go!"
She moved like moonlight. One step — and her spear shone with silver energy. She thrust it forward once.
A beam of moonlight lanced through the night. The horned wolf's head exploded, leaving nothing but ash behind.
"Too weak," she said softly, her tone sharp like steel. "Li Qingfeng, finish the rest."
"Finish?" I coughed. "They're ten times my size!"
Her eyes narrowed. "The weak rely only on fear. But a mortal with a divine system should do better than that."
I grinned bitterly. Easy for a goddess to say. But she was right. If I wanted to survive, I had to fight.
I drew a broken spear from the ground. My hands tightened around it as another beast charged. My heart pounded, and I felt the Mythic Scripture spin faster inside me, energy surging to my limbs.
"Focus," I muttered. "Breathe. Move."
As the beast lunged, I dodged to the side and thrust the spear into its neck. The skin was tough — but the spear went through. Spiritual energy exploded outward.
The beast fell with a crash. My hands trembled.
"Ding! The host has slain a low-grade demonic beast. Experience gained. Progress: +80% toward next level."
I didn't have time to celebrate. Another wolf leapt at me from behind, but Yue Zhilan appeared like a flash of light, her spear sweeping sideways. The creature sliced cleanly in two.
"Get up," she said. "They come in waves."
And they did — more beasts pouring from the shadows, howling at the moon. The border was in flames now, but I kept moving, stabbing, dodging, channelling every drop of strength I had. Every kill made my heart race faster, my power flow stronger.
Then came the system alert:
"Ding! Mission cleared. Optional objective completed. Host gains Lucky Reward: Advanced Summon Card, Ancient Technique Fragment, and Weapon Draw (1)."
I staggered back, panting. "I actually did it…"
Beast corpses lay in every direction. Blood soaked the dirt. Yue Zhilan stood calm amid it all, her armour untouched, her silver eyes glowing faintly.
"Good," she said. "You fought like someone who wants to live."
Before I could answer, the system continued:
"Would Host like to claim rewards now?"
"Yes," I said instantly.
Three lights appeared before me — red, gold, and black.
The red one turned into a glowing card, marked with strange ancient runes.
The gold one became a shining scroll — half-broken and old.
The black one condensed into a weapon wrapped in dark mist.
"Reward One: Advanced Summon Card – Tier B (Random)."
"Reward Two: Ancient Technique Fragment – Heaven Devourer Script."
"Reward Three: Weapon – Shadow Breaker Sabre."
My eyes widened in disbelief. "These… are all real?"
Yue Zhilan looked at the items hovering in front of me. "Hmm. Shadow Breaker Sabre, forged by the Demon Emperor of the Upper Realm. That weapon destroyed ten thousand souls before being sealed. Your system truly breaks the heavens' laws."
"System!" I said. "Use the Advanced Summon Card!"
The card burst into flames. The ground trembled again, just like when Yue Zhilan appeared for the first time. Wind spun around me in a whirlwind of crimson light.
A figure appeared — tall, with long black hair and burning red eyes. Armour like molten rock covered his body, and a crimson halberd rested in his hand. The air turned hot enough to make my skin sting.
"Summon complete."
"Name: General Mo Han. Race: Demon. Realm: Early Saint Transformation."
"Innate Ability: Hellfire Domain. Loyalty: 47."
"Additional Skill: Can summon a personal army of demon soldiers (limit 500)."
The demon knelt on one knee, his voice deep. "General Mo Han greets the Lord who once saved him from destruction."
"Saved you?" I asked, confused.
He nodded solemnly. "In another life, I was wounded by heaven's judgement. You found me, sheltered me, and gave me spirit stones to recover. When I learnt your soul had fallen, I swore my army would answer your call again."
I looked at Yue Zhilan. She smiled faintly, as if she'd already known. "He, too, comes to repay a past debt."
The camp had fallen silent now; those still alive could only stare from a distance, seeing the goddess and demon general standing beside a man once called a worthless prince.
The system chimed again.
"Ding! New Quest: Secure the borderland. Collect resources from fallen enemies to strengthen the foundation."
I moved through the battlefield, picking up storage rings and bags from corpses — guards, exiles, even beasts that had eaten cultivators before. The system helped me identify the contents one by one: spirit stones, herbs, weapons, pills, and ores.
By the time I finished, I had a small mountain of resources.
I stood in silence, looking at my blood-covered hands.
Three days ago, I was a helpless prisoner. Now, I had a Goddess of Moonlight, a Demon General, a new weapon, and more resources than some noble clans.
Yue Zhilan stepped beside me. "What do you plan to do next?"
I smiled, gripping the Shadow Breaker Sabre tightly. "The border was just the beginning. The empire exiled me here to die—I'll make sure they regret it."
Mo Han raised his halberd and roared, his voice shaking the air. Behind him, dark portals opened, and hundreds of shadowy soldiers marched out, kneeling before me.
Under the blood-red sky, I stood on the ruins of the border camp as the system's voice echoed in my mind.
"Ding! Border cleared. Host recognised as new Border Commander. Preparations for a higher mission: Conquer the Northern Battlefield."
I took a deep breath, feeling my spirit burn with purpose.
"The road of Gods and Demons," I whispered, "is mine to walk."
And that was how my legend truly began.