Du Chengfeng was well-prepared for his own failure.

As a seasoned warrior, Chengfeng never blindly trusted the combat strength he possessed. After all, just as he managed to surpass his mentor, the Yin priest, it was only expected that future generations would surpass him—much like how the once top-tier material, bronze, couldn’t compare to today’s steel. How could future generations truly be inferior to their predecessors?

So, when he settled down temporarily, his first choice was to switch to a steel weapon as his new vessel.

A seasoned warrior is never reckless; countless battles make them more cautious. Or maybe, to truly claim countless battles, what’s needed is not just sheer strength.

But rather, considering in advance how to survive after a failure.

In fact, this couldn’t even be considered a failure, at least not in Chengfeng’s eyes. After all, in that barbaric era, being unable to defeat brutal beasts or formidable enemies was all too common—without death, there’s no winner or loser. Retreat, regroup, gather information, and understand the opponent; that’s what a warrior would do.

For only by understanding his enemy could he have a chance to defeat them the next time.

Now, Du Chengfeng had gained a deeper understanding of his enemies and even the entire world as it is today.

Unlike the wild and desolate past, today’s era has richer resources and more civilized people—though he couldn’t yet say if this civilization was good or bad. After all, compared to his own active era, people nowadays seemed visibly weaker, yet the resources are certainly more abundant.

The most obvious example is wine. In his active years, the essence of grains was a rare commodity since making wine required large quantities of grain—a resource that was always in short supply. Hence, drinking in abundance was considered an extreme luxury simply because it was so rare. Wine was only made with surplus grain.

Yet now, even ordinary folks who aren’t warriors can spend a little money to get some wine and satisfy their cravings.

"Though it’s a bit inferior, it is still wine."

At an unassuming roadside inn outside Songzhou City, an inconspicuous swordsman was sipping cheap wine while adjusting the steel hairpin in his hair.

Once the steel hairpin was fully concealed within the hair bun, Chengfeng, who was attached to this swordsman, finally relaxed.

For a seasoned warrior, concealing oneself is a necessary skill: advancing to launch a surprise attack and seizing the initiative, or retreating quietly to gather intelligence. Of course, more importantly, suitable disguises can bring temporary safety, which he desperately needed.

He needed some time to sort out his thoughts and digest his experiences over this period.

"First of all, it seems rather difficult to just have fun and then lie back as before."

Chengfeng slightly frowned, sipping the cheap wine.

After abandoning his physical body and becoming a Soldier Immortal, he had awakened several times before, only to retreat back into inactivity after growing bored—worlds offer mere amusement parks for ones like him since, with such formidable power, there was nothing he couldn’t accomplish.

But now, obstacles had appeared.

Clearly, unlike previous awakenings, this time he encountered something that could be truly considered a barrier. Even wielding such immense power, he still lost—a fierce and unprecedented enemy unlike any he had encountered in his prior awakenings.

Yet, rather than being a bad thing, this offered him more desire for conquest.

Yes, wasn’t this precisely why he chose to become a Soldier Immortal?

Because in his own era, having lacked sufficient adversaries, he abandoned his physical form in hopes of awakening in future times—and now, finally, he met something that presented a challenge.

"Indeed, life keeps getting better and better."

Reflecting on this, Chengfeng found even the cheap wine in his cup tasted richer.

However, after pondering the positives, he needed to consider the negatives—some matters from later times also required thought. For instance, he clearly remembered he’d never kept the Soldier Immortal technique secret; this knowledge ought to have been passed down. Those later Yin warriors should have mastered the skill to transfer their consciousness onto weapons, the ultimate purpose of Soldier Immortal—to sustain Yin warriors eternally.

But why had he never encountered any of his fellow Yin during his awakenings?

This didn’t make sense, not at all. He had intended those future warriors to test his own strength—indeed, another purpose of passing down the Soldier Immortal technique was to allow future Yin warriors to become adversaries for him.

But as of now...

No new Yin had emerged.

Originally, he thought the warrior named Du Chengfeng might have been a former Yin, but now he realized they were entirely different matters. Moreover, according to popular historical tales, the ancient Yin dynasty turned out to have perished.

This seemed even more impossible, utterly impossible.

"Why is it impossible?"

The stranger drinking with Chengfeng was displeased.

"Those are matters we all know about. People say the Yin were corrupt beyond redemption, remember the term ’Wine Pool and Meat Forest’? It describes the deeds of the last Yin king... isn’t it normal for such a mediocre ruler to be overthrown? What’s impossible about that?"

"Impossible, absolutely impossible."

Chengfeng persistently shook his head, his brow furrowed.

Indeed, within the context of common people, an inept ruler being vanquished by a new sovereign seems only fitting. But for the Yin...this was something that should never have occurred.

Simply because every Yin was a warrior.

Not like today’s mere soldiers who only pick up weapons, but warriors who possess true strength, much like himself.