121. Chapter 121: The Army Sets Out

Time flowed by, and the three-day deadline passed in a flash. Finally, the day arrived for Du Long to lead his army into the Forest of Beastly Beasts!

On the military parade ground, Du Long stood on the command platform, looking out at the thousands of soldiers of the Valiant Cavalry Legion who had been polished into a new look. He could not help but admire the group of professional officers his grandfather had sent over. In just three days, these raw recruits, who had only recently enlisted, already faintly displayed the bearing of true soldiers. Not only had their formation and drill improved significantly, but the overall temperament they exuded had also undergone a tremendous transformation.

Originally planning to take two thousand men into the forest, Du Long changed his mind at the suggestion of the beauty within the spiritual ring. He addressed the more than six thousand soldiers in a loud voice: "All soldiers of the Valiant Cavalry Legion! Today, I will lead you into the Forest of Beastly Beasts. We will be undergoing long-term training there, which will conservatively take one to two years!"

"This means that it will be about a year or two before you have the chance to return to Fengli County. I am telling you this because if anyone is unwilling to join me for such a long period of training, please step forward now. I will arrange for you to join the Fengli County City Guard, with your pay remaining the same!"

"Of course, for those soldiers willing to enter the forest with me for this long-term training, your monthly military pay will be increased by one gold coin. You may choose to have your families collect the pay at the Lord's Manor, or have it held for you there."

"Furthermore, I will teach you all an advanced cultivation technique. As long as you are willing to work hard at your training, reaching the Spirit Pill stage is absolutely guaranteed!"

"Only those who successfully complete the training objectives within the forest will be qualified to become true soldiers of the Valiant Cavalry Legion. I can guarantee you all that becoming a member of this legion will be something you will be proud of for the rest of your lives!"

"Now, the choice is yours! Those who do not wish to enter the forest for such a long time, please step out of the ranks and come forward!"

Du Long's explanation left the legion's commander, Xu Yin, feeling bewildered. As the commander, he had only learned of these details right before departure, especially the fact that they would be training inside the forest for so long. He had not been informed of such a major event! However, with thousands of soldiers watching, he knew better than to question Du Long’s decision in public.

On the parade ground, the soldiers looked at one another, stunned. They never expected such a long duration, and all humans on the Star Continent held an instinctive fear of the Forest of Beastly Beasts.

"My Lord! May I ask if the thousand brothers who entered the forest with you before are still training inside?" one soldier finally asked.

"They are on a secret mission. If you are willing to enter the forest, you may have the chance to see them. Otherwise, as someone who is not a soldier of the Valiant Cavalry Legion, you have no right to know where they are or what they are doing!" Du Long replied with a faint smile.

"Oh! I understand. I am willing to follow the Lord and Prince Consort into the forest! Without you, my brother and I would have starved to death long ago!" the soldier replied loudly, looking at Du Long with adoration.

"Very good!" Du Long smiled and asked, "A true man of the Valiant Cavalry Legion! What is your name?"

"My name is Er Dan. I am the second-born, and my brother, Da Dan, was one of the soldiers who went into the forest with you earlier!" Er Dan, never expecting the Lord to ask his name, replied with a blushing, flattered expression.

"So both you and your brother are in the legion! What about the rest of your family? Is there anyone left to care for your parents?" Du Long asked with concern.

"Our parents were long ago murdered by those wicked, corrupt officials and unscrupulous nobles. You have avenged our family, and we are willing to give our lives to follow you into battle!" Er Dan replied with red-rimmed eyes, deeply moving Du Long.

The conversation between Du Long and the recruit was heard by all, and many of the men felt their eyes grow moist. As locals of Fengli County, the brothers' tragedy was a microcosm of the suffering many of them had endured. Those who had been wavering now stood firm, ready to follow their noble leader into battle.

In the end, only three soldiers stepped forward. Regardless of their reasons, Du Long had Sun Lin send them to the City Guard and ordered the entire army to march—destination: the Forest of Beastly Beasts!

Over six thousand men, led by their officers, set off in an orderly fashion, escorting a massive amount of supplies toward the forest.

"Young General! The original plan was to take only two thousand men, and we never planned to stay in the forest for so long!" Commander Xu Yin asked, having ridden his horse to catch up with Du Long, who was mounted on a giant lion.

"General Xu, my apologies!" Du Long replied apologetically. "The original plan was limited because I feared there might be spies. However, Sun Lin’s Shadow Guard performed excellently, and we have purged the internal spies. Naturally, we should take everyone to train together. After all, our time is limited!"

"Time is limited?" Xu Yin asked, confused.

"Exactly," Du Long lowered his voice. "Do you find it strange that my grandfather sent you to Fengli County? The reason is that our peaceful days are numbered. War is approaching, and we must make every preparation."

"War is approaching?" Xu Yin's expression shifted, his tone filled with disbelief.

"Yes! War is drawing near. As for the reasons, it is top secret for now, and I cannot disclose it. You must keep this confidential," Du Long said solemnly. "Also, you will understand why we are training in the forest for so long in a couple of days. Then you will know why I am so concerned with secrecy."

"Young General! Even if war breaks out, must the Fengli County Valiant Cavalry Legion participate? With our numbers, what role could we possibly play?" Xu Yin asked, still full of doubt.

"Hehe! No rush, no rush! In two days, you will know!" Du Long chuckled and dodged the question. Xu Yin could only stare in frustration, knowing the military rules: don't ask about what you aren't supposed to know.

Watching Xu Yin depart with his head full of questions, Princess Fire Phoenix couldn't help but giggle, "Husband! You really love teasing people..."

"No! This isn't just teasing. If I told the truth now, he wouldn't believe me, and it would be a waste of breath. Since that is the case, it is better to let him see the truth for himself!" Du Long said with a feigned righteous air.

Thousands of troops and supplies marched into the forest. With Xiao Lie, the fifth-tier Beast King, leading the way, not a single beast dared to attack the human army. The forest became as quiet as a common grove, losing its threat. To Xu Yin, this was inconceivable. In his experience, beasts didn't care about human numbers; they attacked regardless. However, since this was his first time entering the forest from the Fengli County side, he remained cautious, ordering his men to stay alert. He knew that the quieter the forest was, the more likely a greater danger—such as a powerful beast—was lurking nearby.

He never imagined that the powerful beast he feared was the harmless-looking giant lion under Du Long! Even Spirit-tier experts couldn't see through Xiao Lie's true strength, let alone a Spirit Pill-tier commander like himself.

After a quiet march and one night of rest, the army arrived at the secret camp at Black Profound Iron Mountain the following afternoon. Du Long immediately handed the miners and blacksmiths over to Ouye Zi. The old man, seeing the arrival of so many craftsmen, beamed with excitement and whisked them away without hesitation.

When Xu Yin saw the secret weapon factory inside the cave, he gasped in astonishment: "Good heavens! Even armies of hundreds of thousands don't have their own weapon factories. We are a small legion of less than ten thousand, yet we have an exclusive factory? And you even invited the world's greatest master, Ouye Zi, to oversee it! No wonder you were so concerned about secrecy!"

Du Long simply smiled, not bothering to explain further.