Reorganizing the Guards, Sang Mo's Probing

Early the next morning, before the spiritual energy of the Crimson Blood Cave Mansion had fully circulated, the rhythmic sound of footsteps already echoed through the lower guard barracks. Yun Ce stood in the center of the training ground, dressed in black athletic attire with his hands behind his back. His aura was completely restrained, yet he carried an unquestionable air of authority. Qin Yu stood by his side, while Black Feather, the Dragon Rock Lion, and Red Phoenix kept watch nearby, their auras perfectly disguised to resemble three docile, ordinary sea-dwelling demon beasts.

One thousand guards stood in neat rows, their postures upright and expressions solemn. Zhao Hu and Li Bao, the two commanders, stood at the front of the formation, respectfully awaiting Yun Ce's instructions. Having felt a trace of the pressure Yun Ce had exuded the previous day, these guards were filled with awe and dared not show the slightest bit of slack.

"I have summoned you all today to formally take command of the guard unit and to establish a few rules." Yun Ce spoke, his voice not loud, yet it reached every guard clearly. "First, strictly abide by the rules of the Crimson Blood Cave Mansion; unauthorized absence from duty or private brawls will be severely punished. Second, obey the commands of myself and the two commanders, Zhao Hu and Li Bao; orders must be followed, and no excuses will be tolerated. Third, assemble for training at the hour of the dragon, rest at the hour of the horse, and patrol at the hour of the rooster; there will be no errors. Fourth, do not leak any secrets of the cave mansion or collude with outsiders; anyone caught doing so will be executed without mercy!"

As his voice fell, a trace of pressure from the Void-Piercing Realm emanated from Yun Ce, instantly enveloping the entire training ground. The thousand guards stiffened, responding in unison: "We obey!" Their voices were loud and their tones firm, without a hint of hesitation.

Yun Ce nodded slightly, his gaze sweeping across the formation as he continued, "Zhao Hu, Li Bao."

"Subordinates are here!" The two commanders stepped forward immediately, bowing in salute.

"From today on, you two will divide the work. Zhao Hu, you are responsible for the daily training of the guards, using the cultivation techniques I provide to hone their combat strength. Li Bao, you are responsible for the patrol scheduling and dividing the patrol zones to ensure the safety of every level of the cave mansion." Yun Ce's tone was gentle yet solemn. "Within ten days, I want to see a change in the guard unit. If you fail to meet these requirements, you two will be held accountable."

"Understood! We will not fail our mission!" Zhao Hu and Li Bao responded in unison, not daring to be careless—they could sense that this newly appointed Great Protector, while seemingly gentle, was actually extremely strict and not someone to be trifled with.

Subsequently, Yun Ce took out two cultivation techniques suitable for demon cultivators and handed them to Zhao Hu: "These are the Sea-Splitting Art and the Monolith Art, suitable for offensive and defensive guards respectively. Take them and lead the guards in daily practice to improve their strength."

Zhao Hu accepted the techniques, his eyes filled with surprise and awe—while these were not top-tier techniques, they were certainly high-grade for them, far more powerful than the ones the Crimson Blood Cave Mansion had originally provided. It was clear that Yun Ce had prepared them specifically. "Thank you, Great Protector! I will certainly teach the guards well!"

After making the arrangements, Yun Ce stood to the side of the training ground with Qin Yu and the three divine beasts, quietly observing the training. Zhao Hu lived up to the trust placed in him, dividing the guards into two groups as requested—one group practicing the Sea-Splitting Art and the other the Monolith Art—resulting in orderly training and strict discipline.

Qin Yu stood beside Yun Ce and whispered, "Master, Zhao Hu and Li Bao are quite loyal and capable. It seems they will be of great help in the future."

Yun Ce smiled faintly, his gaze resting on a few guards with slightly stronger auras, his tone gentle: "Although they were former subordinates of Cha Po and Cha Ge, they are sharp-minded and know who to rely on now. As for these guards, most come from humble backgrounds; as long as they are given enough benefits and room to grow, they can be slowly won over to become our confidants."

His divine sense spread out quietly, observing the training while monitoring the movements within the cave mansion, especially the neighboring cave of Sang Mo—he had sensed that Sang Mo's aura was restless yesterday. It seemed this brutal protector was certainly filled with curiosity and vigilance toward his new superior.

Sure enough, before long, a subtle aura quietly approached the guard barracks and stopped at a nearby passageway. It was Sang Mo. He wore a dark red robe, his face sinister and his eyes sharp. He exuded the demonic energy fluctuations of the Nascent Soul Early Stage, having deliberately restrained most of his aura to appear as if he were just passing by, yet his eyes were fixed on Yun Ce and his group in the center of the training ground, filled with scrutiny and inquiry.

He had been full of suspicion about Yun Ce's background at the council hall yesterday—why would a powerhouse of the Void-Piercing Realm lower himself to join the Crimson Blood Cave Mansion? Furthermore, he had produced three high-grade spirit artifacts right away; such extravagance was not typical of an ordinary demon cultivator. What made him even more wary was that Yun Ce had been appointed Great Protector upon arrival and had taken over the thousand guards of Cha Po and Cha Ge, placing him in a position above his own. This made the arrogant and domineering Sang Mo extremely unhappy.

"This must be the newly arrived Great Protector Yun Ce, right? Truly an extraordinary bearing." Sang Mo walked up slowly, a smile forced onto his face, though his tone carried a hint of probing. His gaze swept over Yun Ce, then glanced at Qin Yu and the three divine beasts, a flash of surprise crossing his eyes—Qin Yu and Black Feather were only at the Golden Core Mid Stage, but the Dragon Rock Lion and Red Phoenix were at the Nascent Soul Early Stage. With such a lineup, it was no wonder they had caught the eye of Cave Master Cha Hong.

Yun Ce had long since sensed Sang Mo's arrival but pretended not to notice until Sang Mo spoke. He turned slowly, smiled faintly, and replied in a gentle tone: "So it is Protector Sang Mo, I have heard much about you." His divine sense quietly probed Sang Mo, clearly detecting the violent demonic energy within the man and the hostility hidden in the depths of his eyes. He understood immediately—Sang Mo had indeed come to test him.

Qin Yu also stepped forward quickly and bowed: "Greetings, Protector Sang Mo." Black Feather, the Dragon Rock Lion, and Red Phoenix lowered their heads slightly, emitting low hisses and cries. Their posture was respectful, yet they remained vigilant, revealing no flaws.

Sang Mo's gaze landed on the three divine beasts, a flash of greed crossing his eyes—although these beasts only had the auras of ordinary demon beasts, they were agile and steady, not as dull as common beasts. If he could tame them, they would be excellent combat assets. However, he knew they were Yun Ce's companions and dared not act rashly, so he suppressed his thoughts and said with a smile: "The Great Protector's subordinates are truly talented; these three beasts are quite remarkable."

"Protector Sang Mo is too kind, they are merely companions traveling with me." Yun Ce replied indifferently, then shifted the topic, asking seemingly casually: "Protector Sang Mo, you are here today; surely you aren't just passing by? Do you have any advice?"

Sang Mo's heart skipped a beat. He hadn't expected Yun Ce to be so direct, so he quickly said: "The Great Protector jokes. I was just passing by the guard barracks and saw you reorganizing the guards, so I came to take a look. Since you are new here, if there is anything you need help with, just say the word; I will certainly do my best to assist."

As he spoke, he quietly released a trace of Nascent Soul Early Stage demonic energy, attempting to test Yun Ce's strength—if Yun Ce's Void-Piercing Realm cultivation was a facade, he would certainly be unable to withstand the probe; if he were truly a Void-Piercing powerhouse, his energy would surely be easily neutralized.

Feeling the demonic energy Sang Mo released, a cold smile flashed in Yun Ce's eyes. Without changing his expression, he released a trace of pressure from the Void-Piercing Early Stage, instantly neutralizing Sang Mo's energy while saying softly: "Thank you for your kindness, Protector Sang Mo. With the help of commanders Zhao Hu and Li Bao, there is no need to trouble you for the reorganization of the guards. It is you, Protector, who works hard managing the order within the cave mansion."

This trace of pressure, while seemingly weak, carried an irresistible force. Sang Mo stiffened, a stormy sea rising in his heart—he was truly a Void-Piercing powerhouse! This pressure was far more formidable than he had imagined; he had no qualification to resist in front of this man!

The smile on Sang Mo's face became increasingly stiff. He quickly restrained his demonic energy, his tone becoming much more respectful: "The Great Protector is too polite; this is my duty. Since you are busy with official business, I will not disturb you further and shall take my leave."

"Very well, Protector Sang Mo, take care." Yun Ce nodded faintly, his gaze calm as he watched Sang Mo's retreating back, a profound look in his eyes.

Sang Mo walked quickly out of the guard barracks, only letting out a sigh of relief once he was far from the training ground, his back already drenched in a cold sweat. He knew clearly that Yun Ce's strength was far superior to his own and that he was no match for him. From now on, he would have to suppress his dissatisfaction and dare not provoke him again. However, his suspicions had not diminished in the slightest—Yun Ce's background remained a mystery, and he had to keep a secret watch to uncover the man's true purpose.

Inside the guard barracks, Qin Yu watched Sang Mo's retreating figure and whispered: "Master, this Sang Mo was indeed here to test us, and the hostility in his eyes was not hidden at all."

Yun Ce nodded, his tone gentle yet solemn: "Sang Mo is brutal and ambitious, and relying on his status as a veteran protector, he is unwilling to be beneath me. It was expected that he would test me. I have given him a warning just now, and I suspect he will not dare to provoke me again in the short term."

He paused, then continued: "But we cannot be careless. Sang Mo is, after all, at the Nascent Soul Realm and has been operating in the Crimson Blood Cave Mansion for many years with deep roots; he surely has his own secret forces. Moving forward, we will reorganize the guards and cultivate our own confidants while secretly observing Sang Mo's movements to prevent him from causing trouble behind our backs."

Black Feather communicated through spiritual sense: "Master, rest assured, I will keep a secret watch on Sang Mo. As soon as he makes any suspicious move, I will notify you immediately!" The Dragon Rock Lion and Red Phoenix also nodded, clearly prepared.

Yun Ce nodded with satisfaction, his gaze returning to the guards on the training ground. Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the top of the cave, casting light on the guards' upright figures. The plan to reorganize the guards and win their hearts was steadily moving forward.