After the personnel reorganization was complete, they did not set out immediately, instead delaying for a full half month.
According to Eunuch Di and the others, they were waiting for intelligence from over there.
Ye Zhen also took advantage of those half a month to drill them vigorously, training those personal guards almost to death.
Large quantities of military supplies were rapidly consumed. The supplies used over those half a month equaled the total amount Princess Changle's Residence would normally consume in two years.
Nearly every personal guard had half the bones in their body broken. This was true, real combat.
However, with military supplies provided regardless of cost, along with treatment from the Yi Mu spiritual power of the Azure Hall Spirit Masters Ye Zhen had invited from the Heaven Temple, their injuries could nearly all be healed that very day.
This hastily assembled personal guard force saw its combat strength rise at breakneck speed under Ye Zhen's devilish training.
More than a third of the personal guards broke through their current bottlenecks under this high-intensity, near-torturous training, advancing in cultivation.
It was not that Ye Zhen was being overly cautious. Rather, judging from all the signs, this mission was likely to be extremely dangerous.
Half a day before departure, Ye Zhen summoned Liu Feng and Gu Tieqi to his barracks, then laid down layer upon layer of soundproofing barriers.
"You need to think this through. This is your last chance to withdraw!"
"This mission is not as simple as it appears. It is dangerous—extremely dangerous. If things go wrong, the entire force could be wiped out!"
"You two can still withdraw now! I can send you to the underground storeroom to cultivate in seclusion alongside the personal guards of the First and Third Divisions. You can still withdraw