Just making up numbers with her.

The setting sun sank below the horizon, yet the battle cries at the West Mountain Drill Ground showed no signs of abating. Hu Yihu sat upon a massive beast-hide chair, his sleepy-eyed expression belying the "sleep-talk" he kept bellowing:

"Hit harder! You bastards, didn't you eat today?!"

"No slacking off, or it's a hundred military staves for each of you—that'll make sure you're full!"

Under Hu Yihu's relentless whipping, how could the soldiers of the Fire God Army dare to slack off even in the slightest?

Hu Yihu had originally only intended to drop by to kill some time. To the utter dismay of the soldiers, however, a sudden craving for alcohol struck him, and he ended up getting dead drunk right there at the West Mountain Drill Ground. What followed was a total nightmare for them: an entire afternoon of frantic drilling, coupled with Hu Yihu's occasional "attentive care." No matter how battle-hardened those Fire God Army soldiers were, they were utterly exhausted.

It seemed Hu Yihu had no intention of letting them off easily. All afternoon, he drilled the troops at the peak of his condition, making every single one of them groan inwardly.

Old Fu had been standing by Hu Yihu's side all along, somewhat puzzled as to why Hu Yihu had come straight to the military camp after returning from Hu Mo's courtyard at noon. Moreover, he had pretended to be drunk and thrown a drunken tantrum inside the camp—something that had never happened before.

*Could the Marshal have some special intention in mind?* Old Fu wondered to himself. Based on his experience, if there was something Hu Yihu didn't want to volunteer, no amount of questioning would get it out of him. Now, the only thing he could do was wait.

"Ah-Fu, what time is it?" Hu Yihu, who had been shouting "sleep-talk" all this while, suddenly asked in a deep voice, his tone returning to near-normal.

Old Fu snapped back to attention, estimated the time, and replied, "Reporting to the Marshal, it is the third quarter of the You hour. The sun has just set—"

"The You hour already? Why hasn't that little rascal shown up yet? Is he pulling my leg?" A trace of displeasure crept into Hu Yihu's tone as he slowly straightened his posture.

Old Fu looked at Hu Yihu in perplexity, about to speak, when he suddenly sensed a fierce intent to battle emanating from the distance. The fighting spirit whistled through the air like an impending gale. The soldiers of the Fire God Army, who had been thoroughly exhausted, suddenly snapped to attention, every single one of them radiating a powerful combat aura, as if ignited by that distant presence.

The two forces of fighting spirit were evenly matched, neither yielding an inch. For a moment, the clouds in the sky slowly began to disperse, forming a whirlpool directly between the two colliding auras.

*Such formidable fighting spirit! It's actually no weaker than the Fire God Army. Could it... could that be—?* Old Fu's expression changed, a sudden answer dawning in his heart—an answer that left him utterly incredulous.

"It's Mo'er's Astral Vanguard! This is what the old man has been waiting for!" A sharp gleam flashed in Hu Yihu's eyes as he bounded to his feet, his towering physique instantly radiating an overwhelming pressure.

The soldiers of the Fire God Army stared into the distance with burning gazes, deeply excited. Of course, a trace of lingering doubt remained in their hearts: in the Heavenly Fire Empire, could there truly exist a force whose aura rivaled their own? What manner of army was this?

Hu Yihu's eyes burned with eagerness. With a roaring shout, the full might of his Tier 3 Battle Emperor fighting spirit burst forth completely.

At noon, while still at the Hu Residence, a sudden surge of curiosity had led him to the estate's drill ground, where he had witnessed the earth-shaking transformation of the Astral Vanguard soldiers. He had been profoundly shocked. Later, upon hearing the parting words Hu Mo had shouted, his heart had stirred with intense excitement.

On one hand, he felt immensely proud that his grandson had achieved such feats; on the other hand, a fierce competitive spirit had ignited within him. It felt like meeting an equal match, leaving his heart churning with agitation for a long time.

Therefore, he had immediately come to the West Mountain Drill Ground to await Hu Mo and his men. Those grueling training sessions, though seemingly tormenting, were actually meant to thoroughly warm up the Fire God Army so they could meet the challenge brought by Hu Mo.

Hu Mo led his soldiers forward with serene composure. Black Iron and the others kept their silence, their expressions stern, yet their inner worlds were in turmoil. They never imagined that they—a group of "rejects" who had been mercilessly cast aside—could reach such heights in so short a time. Moreover, they were now coming to crash the turf of these hardened killers, a prospect none of them would have dared to dream of before.

Hu Baiwei followed obediently by Hu Mo's side. The mesmerizing allurement that usually captivated all living beings was absent from her aura; instead, she emanated a profound, sacred purity, rivaling even Cang Ling.

Pondering this anomaly without finding an answer, Hu Mo's gaze repeatedly drifted toward Hu Baiwei. Seemingly noticing his perplexity, Hu Baiwei transmitted her voice softly, "Master, actually, the alluring techniques of the Nine-Tailed Fox clan are not the source of our true power. In the past, my cultivation was too low to comprehend it. Now, I finally understand: the true power of the Nine-Tailed Fox lineage is holiness. That is the true hallmark of a divine beast."

As Hu Baiwei spoke, the sacred radiance surrounding her grew even more intense. Hu Mo felt as though he were meeting Hu Baiwei for the very first time. As he sensed this holy energy, his three treasures let out harmonious, joyful hums, resonating with a shared power.

Hu Mo gave a soft hum of acknowledgment and nodded without further words. Soon, they arrived at the entrance of the West Mountain Drill Ground.

Standing at the gates, the collision between the two opposing fighting auras reached its absolute peak. Just as the momentum was about to erupt into a clash, Hu Mo and Hu Yihu, inside the drill ground, struck simultaneously, forcibly dispersing the vortex of battle energy. Had this energy detonated, soldiers on both sides would have suffered severe injuries.

Though Hu Mo's current cultivation was merely a Tier 3 Slaughter Battle King, bolstered by the three treasures, even ordinary Battle Emperor powerhouses could not match the formidable battle prowess he wielded.

"Good! Truly worthy of being Hu Yihu's grandson! Though the old man waited for you all afternoon, for me, this moment is something I've waited over a decade for! Come, let me witness your methods. Let's see whether your troops are stronger, or if this old man's take the crown! Hahaha..." Hu Yihu laughed wildly, a sky-shaking fighting spirit erupting from his body.

The exhaustion vanished entirely from the faces of the Fire God Army soldiers. Their emotions had synchronized completely with Hu Yihu: divided, they were thousands of ferocious tigers; united, they were a soaring, colossal dragon. Compared to them, Hu Mo's several dozen men appeared truly meager.

Hu Mo glided forward, with Hu Baiwei following closely behind. The moment she appeared, a subtle ripple swept through the momentum of the Fire God Army. It was hardly surprising—Hu Baiwei's stunning beauty was a natural hazard to any man, especially paired with her current transcendent temperament, reminiscent of a celestial maiden descending to the mortal realm, inspiring awe and reverence rather than any thought of desecration.

Hu Yihu's eyes widened in astonishment as they fell upon Hu Baiwei. Frowning slightly, he muttered in contemplation, "To reach the Realm of Faceless Allure so quickly... The Nine-Tailed Fox clan truly is blessed with extraordinary innate talent."

While he was lost in thought, Hu Mo had already appeared before the Fire God Army. Though he stepped forward alone, his aura was not suppressed in the slightest.

"Grandfather, what are you saying? Your grandson is merely here for a friendly spar, not a life-or-death battle. With several thousand men roaring at once like that, your grandson nearly scared himself wet," Hu Mo said with a grin, rubbing his nose. His remark instantly provoked a burst of uproarious laughter, slightly easing the chilling, murderous tension in the air.

Hu Yihu shot Hu Mo a sideways glance and chided, "You little rascal, don't play the coward in front of me. Your strength is already enough to make me take you seriously. Hurry up and show me your tricks. Even though this isn't a real battlefield, these men are soldiers, so let them prove their existence the soldier's way! I won't bully the weak either—however many men you send, I'll match them."

A powerful, domineering aura emanated from Hu Yihu. Memories suddenly flashed in his mind from over a decade ago, when Hu Meng had likewise led the soldiers he trained to challenge him, holding out for half an hour without defeat. Every time he recalled that memory, turbulent waves stirred in Hu Yihu's heart, accompanied by an irrepressible sense of grief and helplessness.

Hu Mo smiled, pointing a finger toward the sky as an overwhelming surge of combat energy erupted from his body. The soldiers of the Astral Vanguard surged with fighting spirit, forming a precise battle formation to stand toe-to-toe with the Fire God Army.

"Very well! Grandfather, then your grandson won't stand on ceremony! Astral Vanguard, form up—The Myriad Star Radiance Formation!" Hu Mo shouted, his figure drifting backward while Hu Baiwei's lips curled into a faint smile. With a light step upon the ground, she appeared right in the dead center of the Astral Vanguard.

"Mei'er, direct this formation. Don't let me down," Hu Mo transmitted softly.

Hu Baiwei smiled faintly and nodded, her aura instantly turning vastly sharper.

Hu Yihu's expression shifted slightly as he said in a deep voice, "Mo'er, are you really having a peak Tier 9 Battle Emperor make a move? Hmph! What's the point of fighting this out then!"

Hu Mo shook his head and proclaimed aloud, "Grandfather, calm your anger. How could your grandson dare do such a thing? I guarantee you, Mei'er will not make a single move. My formation simply lacked one person, so I had her fill the spot to make up the numbers."

Hu Yihu's expression eased somewhat as he calmly stated, "Since that's the case, let it begin!"