"It’s not hard to figure out what they’re thinking," Yan Xiaobao said to himself in a low voice. Before coming to a stop in front of the Commander, he once again swept past many soldiers and nodded in their direction. Yan Xiaobao then stepped back onto the grand stage.
The arena was elevated about one meter above the ground, allowing Yan Xiaobao to have a better view of the troops before him.
"Today’s training begins," Yan Xiaobao said seriously. "Assemble into your five-man groups!" He continued, and movement started to ripple across the guards. Approximately ten minutes later, the movement came to a halt.
"Now you will face each other. Fight in five-man groups. Everyone outside your team is your enemy. Commanders will roam the battlefield, and if you’re severely injured, you will leave for treatment. Should anyone continue to get injured, I will personally ensure that they never participate in real warfare."
"When you leave, your group will continue to fight short-handed. This is not a fair duel. Sometimes your group will face five against ten, other times ten against five. On the battlefield, fairness does not exist. Survival is what matters, and you must learn to fight to stay alive."
As Yan Xiaobao observed the many guards, he remained silent. His words made some of them pale and anxious, while others flashed grins across their faces, displaying the excitement they felt.
"My lord," suddenly a Commander spoke, and Yan Xiaobao instantly turned his full focus to the Emperor. Although Yan Xiaobao’s rank was higher, he treated the Emperor with full respect, admiring how these leaders had achieved such high status without relying on past lives or unusual powers.
"Speak," he nodded. The Commander cleared his throat, his eyes darting from side to side.
"Where will we be fighting?" he asked, scratching the back of his head, which made the grin on Yan Xiaobao’s face widen.
"You will start fighting right now," Yan Xiaobao replied. A soft murmur suddenly rose to the heavens. Everyone was shocked. Given how close they currently were to each other, how could they fight under such conditions? For those guards accustomed to arena duels with space to maneuver, this seemed nearly impossible.
"This is not a match for bickering," Yan Xiaobao reminded them, as he knew precisely what each of these guards was thinking. "When you fight in this war, unless you create space by slaughtering your enemies, you won’t be able to maneuver. This is one of the crucial reasons we’re beginning this kind of training," Yan Xiaobao explained. The more he spoke, the clearer the significance of his words became to the specialists listening.
"I need you to understand this is the reality of war; I need you to fully embrace the methods and environments of the battles we will fight. I want all of you to become an army, an army that the Divine Domain and its Lords can take pride in." Yan Xiaobao finished, igniting a fire in the eyes of every skilled expert present. Their hearts raced faster than before, and they silently vowed to prove themselves, to show the world the Divine Origin army’s ability to act as true soldiers.
"Alright, in that case," Yan Xiaobao said with a smile, "there’s no reason to waste any more time. You all understand my expectations of you—make me proud and fight for the strength within yourselves. Remember, when you’re injured, you will leave the battlefield."