This was an immense drill ground, capable of holding tens of thousands, easily spanning the size of seven or eight football fields, ringed by tents large enough to house dozens, stretching to an unseen boundary...

Yet, this was not the source of the shock. Ye Jingyu was stunned because hundreds of people were scattered across the field, several bonfires blazing, those hundreds gathered around the flames, roasting meat and gulping down potent spirits by the mouthful...

Some were grouped together gambling, others linked arms, their laughter unrestrained and boisterous. What further astonished Ye Jingyu were the faint, muffled sounds of women's moans drifting from nearby tents...

This... this... was this a military camp or a den of ruffians?

Even Ye Jingyu, seasoned in all manner of situations, saw his expression drastically change, his eyes wide with disbelief...

This was his first inspection of the camp today. The several deputy generals of the Iron Army must have known, yet not a single one had come to greet him, instead encouraging their subordinates to behave this way. Did they simply not regard him at all? Not only did they disregard him, but military law seemed utterly void...

What was this?

In an instant, Ye Jingyu understood. Someone was deliberately trying to humiliate him. These martial artists, without powerful backing, would never dare to hold such an open-air party on the main parade ground...

An indescribable rage surged from his heart. Since someone dared to oppose him, he would make an example of a few...

If he couldn't strike at the master behind the scenes, what did killing a few dogs matter?

Ye Jingyu, who had clawed his way up from nothing, was not one to be intimidated by mere threats.

"Take them down..." Ye Jingyu roared, his figure already blurring as he shot forward, giving these people no chance to resist. With one kick to the back of a hulking brute, the distinct sound of cracking bones erupted, and the man was sent flying, letting out a massive scream...

When he landed, his body convulsed instinctively a few times, but there was no further response; whether he lived or died was unknown...

However, his scream drew the attention of everyone present. It was more likely these people already knew Ye Jingyu was coming but feigned indifference. Now that Ye Jingyu had acted, they had no choice but to pay attention...

But by the time they recovered their senses, eighty warriors of the Chi Yi tribe had already lunged like wolves and tigers. They were all N-level warriors; though they lacked internal Zhenqi, their physical resilience far surpassed these men. In mere moments, dozens more lost the ability to fight...

These soldiers were instantly dumbfounded. They knew the new general was the Martial Champion, a supporter of the Third Young Master, but their respective sects secretly pledged loyalty to the First Young Master or others. They had only intended to make things difficult for Ye Jingyu. After all, several hundred men simultaneously violating military discipline would create an impossible situation for any newly appointed general; most would retreat in the face of difficulty, or at least swallow their pride if they stayed. They never expected Ye Jingyu to resort to violence immediately upon arrival...

And his strikes were so ruthless, leaving them no chance to counter...

"Murder! Someone is killing! Brothers, quickly get up and fight back! Someone is murdering!" As the Chi Yi warriors continued their assault, some soldiers, shaking off their shock, suddenly yelled out...

In an instant, the hundreds of soldiers on the field snapped back to reality and began to resist with all their might...

"Qi, Meng, shout again and be executed without mercy... Xiu, dare to resist and be executed without mercy..." Seeing these men dare to fight back, Ye Jingyu issued a kill order...

In his heart, there was no room for law. With his current prestige, while he might not change everything immediately, he was certain that even if he caused major trouble, Luo Xiaofeng might not dare to truly punish him. Furthermore, these men were already thorns in Luo Xiaofeng’s side; he would be glad if Ye Jingyu eliminated a few more...

With no reservations, Ye Jingyu knew nothing of holding back. As he issued orders, his body shot forward. A silver glint flashed in his eyes; three or four soldiers about to charge felt their vision swim, and the Pò Dāo in Ye Jingyu's hand swept out...

"Chii-chii-chii..." With several quick sounds, three or four heads flew off. Bright red blood jetted from the headless necks, appearing vividly crimson...

Ye Jingyu didn't fear trouble; he feared not having enough trouble...

If someone wanted to humiliate him, he would make that humiliation far greater, until he saw who ended up humiliated in the end...

Such decisive and brutal force immediately subdued many of them. The Chi Yi Xiu and others, wielding battle axes, ignored whether these men were genuinely fighting back or just posturing, charging into the throng...

Naturally strong, their immense power amplified by special heavy armor that ordinary blades struggled to penetrate, their hundred-jin battle axes whistled as they swung...

Especially Chi Yi Xiu, nearly ten feet tall, brandishing a great axe over ten feet long and weighing a thousand jin. He brought it down viciously on a soldier. Facing the roaring giant axe, the soldier instinctively tried to evade, but the axe’s speed was too great; before his body could move, the axe head smashed onto his skull...

Instantly, the man’s head burst open like a watermelon, and the massive axe cleaved down, splitting the body clean in two...

Blood, shredded flesh, and entrails sprayed everywhere, a sight that shook the entire field...

These soldiers had only intended to cause Ye Jingyu minor embarrassment; they never anticipated actual bloodshed. They had no weapons on hand, how could they resist the savage Chi Yi warriors...

Facing those massive battle axes, their eyes held nothing but dread, and deeper dread...

With a single strike of the axe, anyone hit would lose at least an arm; the worst off were split entirely in half...

The eighty Chi Yi warriors were like eighty killing machines surging into the crowd. Raised in the harsh environment of the Southern Barren Forest, they understood nothing of humanity or mercy...

They only knew that Ye Jingyu’s orders must be followed. As for the consequences afterward, they did not understand, nor did they care to understand...

Hu Yanqi remained silent. He drew his longbow, nocked an arrow, and fired. The soldier who had been shouting the loudest hadn't fully registered what was happening before an arrow pierced his throat. The end of his sentence was trapped in his windpipe, his eyes wide with shock, as his body slowly collapsed...