55: Bai Lingyue's military training is so exciting

Not long after he walked out, he heard shouts of panic.

They faintly came from an open space on the other side of the territory.

"Hm?" Mo Yan paused.

That was the sound of Soldiers training, but it seemed more intense than usual, mixed with some gasps and grunts.

Was Bai Lingyue training the troops?

A thought stirred in his heart, and he changed direction, walking towards the source of the sound.

As he approached the designated training ground, the sight before him made his eyebrows twitch.

On the open ground, the newly recruited new Soldiers and the original thirty-odd veteran Soldiers had formed several small square formations.

They all gripped their weapons tightly, their faces pale, their eyes darting around, as if they were facing some terrifying enemy.

And at the front of the formation, Bai Lingyue, in a white dress, stood with her hands behind her back.

Her posture was straight, her silver hair swayed slightly in the cold wind, and she looked down at the Soldiers.

The charming smile she usually wore was gone, replaced by an icy majesty.

"All of you, stand firm!" Bai Lingyue's tone carried an undeniable authority.

"If you can't even withstand this small illusion, on the battlefield, you'll just be a pile of walking meat!"

Illusion?

Mo Yan stood in the distance, not approaching, his gaze fixed on the Soldiers.

He noticed that the Soldiers' eyes were somewhat unfocused, their expressions alternating between fear and anger, their bodies tense, clearly caught in some intense illusory combat.

Around them, there was clearly nothing but the howling cold wind.

Was this the Nine-tailed fox's illusion ability?

It was indeed extraordinary.

Mo Yan nodded secretly, continuing to observe.

"Roar!" A new Soldier suddenly let out a terrified scream, wildly swinging his spear, almost poking his companion next to him.

"Idiot! See clearly who your enemy is!" Bai Lingyue snapped coldly, flicking her finger.

A streak of light disappeared into the new Soldier's glabella.

The new Soldier's body trembled, his eyes instantly cleared up a lot, but his face was still pale, and he was panting heavily.

"On my training ground, if you can't even distinguish between friend and foe, the outcome is death," Bai Lingyue's voice was cold. "Next!"

The Soldiers' breathing became much heavier.

Some veteran Soldiers were fine; having experienced the sand worm battle, their willpower was slightly stronger, and they could barely maintain their formation.

But most of the newly recruited Soldiers had pale faces, and their hands gripping their weapons were trembling slightly.

"Hold steady, maintain formation!" A veteran Soldier captain shouted loudly, trying to stabilize morale.

However, under Bai Lingyue's illusionary interference, his voice seemed somewhat weak and powerless.

Another new Soldier couldn't bear the pressure, his legs went soft, and he collapsed to the ground, his shield clattering as it fell.

"Useless!" Bai Lingyue's eyes sharpened.

She waved her hand lightly.

A biting cold wind appeared out of nowhere, lashing like a whip at the fallen new Soldier.

Crack!

With a crisp sound.

The new Soldier screamed, and a shallow white frost mark instantly appeared on his body, the bone-chilling cold making him shiver violently.

"Stand up!" Bai Lingyue's voice held no emotion. "If you can't even stand steady, how do you expect to go to the battlefield and kill enemies?"

Humiliation and fear flashed across the new Soldier's face. He gritted his teeth, struggled to climb up from the ground, picked up his shield, and rejoined the formation, his body uncontrollably trembling.

Mo Yan watched silently from a distance, his eyelids uncontrollably twitching.

Bai Lingyue's training methods were quite harsh, even cruel.

Illusions directly affecting the mind, coupled with merciless punishment.

This was a huge test of the new Soldiers' willpower.

But... the effect was also very significant.

At least, no one dared to fall easily again. Everyone gritted their teeth, forcing themselves to concentrate and fight against the invisible enemy.

"It seems you've sobered up a bit," Bai Lingyue's icy gaze swept over everyone. "But this is far from enough!"

She slowly raised her hands, interlacing her fingers, forming a strange hand seal.

Buzz--

An invisible ripple, centered on her, instantly spread out, enveloping the entire training ground.

The fear on the Soldiers' faces suddenly intensified, as if the enemies in the illusion had become stronger and more real!

"Ah!"

"Hold on!"

"Monsters... so many monsters!"

Screams, roars, and the illusory sounds of weapons clashing intertwined in their perception.

The formation completely collapsed, and the Soldiers fought individually, the scene chaotic beyond belief.

Mo Yan's eyes narrowed.

The intensity of this illusion had increased by one Rank compared to before.

Was Bai Lingyue... pushing them to their limits?

Or was she weeding out the weak?

He saw that some new Soldiers with weak willpower had already started to lose focus, their movements becoming stiff and sluggish, on the verge of collapse.

Even some veteran Soldiers showed signs of fatigue, struggling more and more to cope.

"Thud!"

Finally, another new Soldier couldn't bear it, his eyes rolled back, and he fell straight down, completely losing consciousness.

Immediately after, it seemed to trigger a chain reaction.

...

One after another, Soldiers fell, most of them new Soldiers, but also a few veteran Soldiers who had been injured in previous battles and had not fully recovered.

In just a few minutes, fewer than twenty Soldiers were still standing on the field.

Although they were still holding on, they were all sweating profusely, panting, their eyes filled with exhaustion.

Bai Lingyue looked at the Soldiers lying sprawled on the ground, without any pity on her face.

She slowly lowered her hands, and the illusionary ripple that enveloped the entire field receded like a tide.

The Soldiers who were still standing collapsed powerlessly onto the cold ground as if all their strength had been drained.

They gasped for breath, staring blankly at the gray sky, as if they had just crawled back from the edge of Hell.

The training ground was a mess.

"A bunch of good-for-nothings!" Bai Lingyue's icy voice rang out again, echoing across the open space.

"Just the lowest Rank of illusionary impact made you crumble!

"With your meager abilities, you still want to go to the battlefield and kill enemies? You still want to protect the territory?"

"Dream on!"

Her gaze, like an icy knife, swept over the Soldiers who were slumped on the ground and those who had fainted.

Anyone who can still breathe, run ten laps around the territory. If you can't finish, no food for you today!"

"Those who fainted, drag them aside. When they wake up, their training volume will be doubled!"

"Execute immediately!"

The command was given, leaving no room for doubt.

The Soldiers who could still move, though exhausted, struggled to get up when they heard the punishment.

Supporting each other, they started to run unsteadily along the edge of the territory.

Mo Yan watched all this, deep in thought.

Bai Lingyue's training methods were ruthless, and very effective.

The more chaotic the world, the more rigid rules are needed to maintain order.

Facing the ever-present danger, only the most severe methods could temper these new Soldiers into true warriors.

A compassionate heart cannot command troops.

He knew this truth better than anyone.

He did not show himself to interfere; professional matters should naturally be left to professionals. He believed she would handle it appropriately.

Turning around, he continued towards the Imperial Kitchen.