The two approached the edge of the parade ground. Jun Wuyi cleared his throat and barked, "All troops assemble! Gather here before me, form up!"

It was a military command!

Though a decade had passed since a command had issued from Jun Wuyi’s mouth, his voice now carried an inherent air of decisive lethality. This sudden surge of hope rekindled the great general’s lost grandeur—the exhilarating feeling that life and death rested entirely within his grasp!

Every soul who heard the order felt the same: delay even a moment longer, and the next sound would be the clatter of their own severed head, with no chance of appeal!

In a flash, three hundred household guards stood before the pair in perfect formation. /|()Ultra-fast update/|\

Gazing upon the rugged faces streaked with sweat, Jun Wuyi nodded with satisfaction. He raised one hand, pointing directly at Jun Xie. "From this moment forward, your training is to be overseen entirely by the Third Young Master! Whatever he demands of you, you must obey without question! Do you understand?"

The utterance caused an immediate ** among those below, leaving a stunned silence that lasted for a long moment.

A flicker of anger crossed Jun Wuyi’s face, but he held his tongue, instead focusing his gaze on Jun Xie. He had already declared that from now on, from this very second, Jun Xie was the highest authority here. That declaration had instantly conferred the power; these men, regardless of their thoughts, now belonged wholly to Jun Xie’s jurisdiction!

As for how his nephew would wield that authority, Jun Wuyi intended to stay entirely out of it! If his nephew couldn't even conquer this hurdle, it would prove that his recent boastings were just empty talk, and he could then discard any hope invested in him!

Jun Xie let out a bitter, silent laugh, took a step forward, and said in a low voice, "Earlier, Uncle and I discussed your training. Uncle asked me how well trained you are; whether you qualify as elite, whether you are worthy men. Heh heh…"

Jun Xie's voice was not loud, but it successfully captured the attention of all three hundred men. Their eyes bored into him, sharp and expectant. What assessment, they wondered, would this supposed good-for-nothing Young Master have of them?

"I said you are all a bunch of trash! Beyond eating and wasting grain, you are nothing but useless leeches waiting for death! If war broke out right now and you were sent to the battlefield, every single one of you would die swiftly! I have absolute confidence in that!"

The breathing of the three hundred strongmen immediately grew ragged. Fury radiated from their eyes, their faces flushing crimson. Humiliation! Utter, profound humiliation!

A massive fellow suddenly stepped forward, fire blazing in his eyes as he stared at Jun Xie. "Third Young Master, what is the meaning of those words? Though we are the Jun family guards, we are all veterans who survived countless battles! Even if you are our master, you cannot insult us so casually!"

"Insult you? No, no, no. The real insult is what you’ve done to yourselves. Do I even need to insult you further? Are you even worthy of my insults?" Jun Xie smiled, lifting a finger and waving it dismissively. "Are you all unconvinced? Do you desperately want to beat me up, yes?! Fine, I grant you the opportunity. If you can refute my points, you may strike me. Uncle will not intervene. That is the first order I issue!"

Another wave of uproar swept through the ranks!

Jun Xie’s cold voice rang out again: "I ask you, you claim to be survivors of countless battles. Surely, among those who enlisted with you, many have become generals, or lesser officers—in any case, officers, no longer common soldiers. Their status is far above yours! You don't deny that, do you?"

The big man paused, momentarily stunned, and hesitantly nodded. What kind of point was this? In the heat of battle, it was natural for many soldiers to be promoted through merit. Many former comrades had risen through the ranks. This was normal; why was the Young Master bringing it up?

"But why didn't you become generals?! Because you couldn't! Therefore, compared to those men, you have already been eliminated once!"

Jun Xie regarded them ruthlessly. "Take, for instance, those who joined at the same time as you. I believe many of them had Xuan Qi strength perhaps lower than yours back then, or maybe just slightly stronger, with the majority being about the same as you! Is that correct?"

Yes, why didn't we become generals? Everyone felt dazed by the previous statement and hadn't recovered, yet they nodded involuntarily at this question. Many secretly grumbled: those who became generals merely seized an opportunity, they were lucky. Besides, your latter statement is pure nonsense. Would anyone without strength even be recruited into the army? Wouldn't those with vastly superior power be serving as common soldiers alongside us?

"But many of them, during their service, during actual combat, broke through the hurdle of Ninth Grade Xuan Qi, becoming true masters! Consequently, after the war ended, they were sought after by various influential families! That happens, doesn't it?"

Such things were utterly common. The men nodded again, but their aggressive posture had waned, and traces of shame began to appear in some eyes. Every advancement in Xuan Qi rank was a hurdle, and the higher the grade, the harder the breakthrough! Though the difference between the Eighth and Ninth Grade was just one level, it felt like the gap between heaven and earth. Many had achieved Eighth Grade Xuan Qi early in their careers but remained stuck there for their entire lives, forever barred from the higher Ninth Grade! Not to mention advancing into the even loftier Silver Xuan realm!

The adage, 'Beneath the Ninth Grade, all are ants!' was certainly not spoken in vain!

"They advanced; you did not! So, compared to those men, you have been eliminated again! Does anyone disagree!?" Jun Xie looked down at them with disdain.

Silence blanketed the field; the crowd was mute!

"After the war ended, many people left the military, while some were selected by secret state organizations, private militias, or transferred to other armies. Is that true?" Jun Xie smiled faintly and inquired.

This phenomenon was even more widespread! As they remained silent, the shame on their faces deepened.

"And among those selected, you were still not there! You have been eliminated for the third time!" Jun Xie continued his assault. "And after you came to the Jun family, how many people do any of you remember joining us initially?"

"Reporting, Young Master, five hundred people joined in total!" The large man, though he grasped the drift of Jun Xie's meaning, still flushed deeply as he answered.

"Mm, meaning two hundred are missing. So, where did those two hundred go?" Jun Xie paced slowly. "All I know is that they weren't driven out, nor are they dead; they were selected to undertake more important work. Why weren't you chosen? Because you weren't strong enough! Clearly, you have been eliminated here as well!"

Some men’s breathing grew heavy; others’ eyes reddened, yet still, no one spoke.

"Tell me," Jun Xie turned his face, cocking his ear toward them, "after being filtered out layer by layer like this, in your own hearts, are you not trash?"