Chapter 777: Small Test of Skills

Yun San thought carefully for a moment. "Conflicts naturally exist. In every process, besides the Enforcers' faction, there are various other groups vying for power, such as ronin warriors and ninja sorcerers. Of course, disputes over resources and manpower are also common. Generally, if it's not a large-scale confrontation that alerts the alliance, the higher-ups won't personally intervene in minor clashes between commanderies."

Xu Yang nodded with a smile. "Since that's the case, if you want to expand your influence, you must first firmly grasp your commandery. Within it, whether it's ronin samurai or the Enforcers, all power and all formidable individuals you can control must obey your command, Yun San. This is the first step in building your foundation."

Yun San spread his hands helplessly. "Putting everything else aside, the leader of the Enforcers alone is far stronger than ordinary people. More importantly, how can you contend with a force of five thousand Enforcers?"

"It's quite simple," Xu Yang replied. "Establish a martial arts academy under your personal name dedicated to training warriors. Then, discreetly use various channels to recruit all the ronin samurai and wandering cultivators within the commandery. Once you secure these individuals and gain a certain foundation, you can then confront the Enforcers within the commandery. As long as you firmly establish your commandery as your base, I will handle all the planning from there."

Yun San finally saw hope. He also regained his composure, looking at Xu Yang with a serious and cautious expression. "There's no such thing as a free lunch. Your help must stem from your own secrets. Let's be frank with each other. This way, our future cooperation can proceed smoothly, without any reservations."

This was something Yun San wasn't necessarily expected to say, but hearing it from him brought Xu Yang particular satisfaction. It proved that Yun San was truly invested and serious about working with him to achieve something significant.

"Very good," Xu Yang said. "It's rare to find such an open mind. Since you've been frank with me, I have no reason to deceive you. I'm helping you because I want you to return to the center of royal power. My sole purpose is to uncover the secrets of Wuyue Tian. Before I entered Yingzhou Continent, the old man at the teleportation point told me that only by approaching the center of royal power can I gain access to information about Wuyue Tian's secrets."

Yun San gazed at Xu Yang seriously. "Do you truly possess such abilities?" Xu Yang chuckled. "If I wished, I could make you the King of Yingzhou."

Hearing Xu Yang's words, Yun San no longer had any reservations. "If you can truly deliver on your promise, I agree to help you achieve your goal to the best of my ability."

Xu Yang wasted no more words. He extended his right hand towards Yun San, who then firmly clasped Xu Yang's palm with his own right hand. At this moment, their alliance was truly forged.

After their candid conversation, Xu Yang and Yun San, united by their individual goals, became completely unified. The first thing Yun San did was promote Xu Yang to be the General Commander of his three hundred personal guards.

On the first day, when Xu Yang ordered the three hundred guards to assemble, nearly half of them were absent. Clearly, these individuals didn't take their newly appointed General Commander seriously. Xu Yang's task was to make an example of them, to teach these arrogant young men a lesson.

"From today, you all have a week-long leave," Xu Yang announced. "Do whatever you want, enjoy yourselves as you please. After a week, I will personally initiate a half-month special training program for you, to transform you into elite combat forces. Of course, this is based on your absolute loyalty. If any of you ever betray Lord Yun or me, this rock will be your ultimate fate."

As Xu Yang's words fell, a massive boulder in the courtyard exploded with a powerful palm strike! The raw energy within his palm was incredibly fierce, shattering the huge rock before them. This single display astonished the more than one hundred personal guards present.

"Alright, there's nothing else for today," Xu Yang continued. "Those of you who are present, relay what you've seen and heard today to those who were absent. And tell them that anyone wishing to repent and atone should find me in the training grounds in the back garden. I will give them a chance to redeem themselves. If I don't see them within three days, then as General Commander, I will strip them of everything." Finishing his words, Xu Yang transformed into a streak of light and instantly vanished from the spot.

The one hundred and fifty personal guards present were utterly dumbfounded. They had never witnessed such astonishing explosive power from Xu Yang. With just a palm strike from a dozen meters away, a giant boulder weighing thousands of jin had been pulverized.

"What is this person's background?" one guard muttered. "He's terrifying! How did our lord ever get to know such a formidable individual?" "Alas, other matters are beyond our interference," another replied. "Our only option is to obey orders. Now that such a powerful figure is willing to be our General Commander, our future lives will likely be easier. Don't forget, we are Yun Manor's people in life and its ghosts in death. Since the lord acknowledges him, he is our leader through thick and thin!"

Soon, these positive remarks spread rapidly among the three hundred personal guards. The more than one hundred who hadn't shown up also gradually met with Xu Yang within three days. Each of them was personally dealt with by Xu Yang. What appeared to be punishment was, in fact, Xu Yang using his power to help them open their meridians in advance. This formed the foundation for their rapid increase in strength. Xu Yang intended to use these three hundred individuals as the cornerstone for his rise and development across the entire Yingzhou Continent.

What pleased Xu Yang was that, among these three hundred, not a single person wished to leave the group from beginning to end. Their loyalty to Lord Yun San proved quite reliable. After all, for a warrior or a subordinate, loyalty is often more important than ability. Ability can be cultivated, but if someone is not loyal, no matter how much you invest in them, there will eventually be a day when things go awry.

In just one week, Xu Yang completely won over these three hundred individuals with his influence and power. The incredible results he achieved further solidified Yun San's belief in Xu Yang's true capabilities. After all, Yun San had put in considerable effort when he initially recruited these three hundred people.

Subsequently, according to Xu Yang's plan, the two-week secret training finally began. Xu Yang's first lesson for these three hundred loyal warriors was to help them activate their inner sight and impart his basic cultivation method for the Shangqing Yuanqi Dao. However, the talent displayed by these warriors was not particularly strong.