With the rise of my family, I can summon the Daoist Soldiers' Nest.

On a clear, crisp autumn day, banners fluttered outside Jingxian County, and the air was filled with the sounds of people.

More than a month had passed since Lin Ye returned from Leize in the Tang Dynasty.

During the three months he was away from home, the two territories of Xiang County and Qinghe County, which were respectively managed by Lin Yi and Lin Qiang, remained peaceful and undisturbed under the suppression of the lair.

Jing County, which was temporarily administered by Li Chengfeng, was frequently plagued by monsters descending from the mountains and injuring people due to the lack of a stronghold to guard it.

Fortunately, with his uncle Li Chengfeng, a second-rate martial artist, personally overseeing the situation and leading a group of guards to maintain order, the situation is gradually improving.

In addition, villagers in the mountains have gradually moved to the county town under the guidance of policies. With the population concentrated, the pressure on defense has been greatly reduced.

After returning to his residence, Lin Ye first dealt with the backlog of government affairs, then toured the three counties. Seeing that everything was going smoothly, he was able to relax.

Upon arriving in Jing County the day before yesterday, Lin Ye heard news of another monster attacking people, and immediately decided to organize a large-scale autumn hunt.

This move was intended to eliminate potential threats in the surrounding mountains and forests, as winter was approaching and food supplies in the mountains were dwindling, making it easy for monsters to descend in droves and attack villages due to famine.

Secondly, it was also to hone the military skills, especially in Xiang County and Qinghe County, where monsters had long been extinct under the protection of the lair, and some warriors had not seen blood for a long time, their blades becoming dull.

With the upcoming war against the Northern Xiongnu imminent, these men will be the main force, and therefore urgently need a real battle to boost morale and regain their fighting spirit.

Thus, warriors from the three counties gathered in Jing County, marking the beginning of the autumn hunt.

At this time, after this period of expansion and selection, the Lin family army had reached a total of eight thousand people.

Among them were nearly a hundred third-rate martial artists and five second-rate martial artists.

Although not all fifty-person teams have captains who are third-rate martial artists, at least half of the captains are third-rate martial artists, and the rest are also second-rate martial artists.

According to Lin Ye's plan, with further allocation of resources, the goal of having a third-rate martial artist leading each team is just around the corner.

For this autumn hunt, considering the high casualty rate of ordinary soldiers facing monsters, all participants were limited to third-rate martial artists.

The army was arrayed in the field, a dark and imposing sight, its chilling aura reaching the sky, clearly indicating that it was already a well-established elite force.

With a command, Lin Ye moved swiftly, without relying on any external force, using only his lightness skill to leap forward nearly a hundred meters like a roc spreading its wings.

Then, using the momentum, it took off again, and in a few leaps, it disappeared into the deep mountains and dense forests, completely out of everyone's sight.

Some of the martial artists in the group were unaware of Lin Ye's gains from his trip to the Tang Dynasty. At first, they were wondering why Lin Ye, as the lord of three counties, did not contract a mounted Taoist soldier as a means of transportation.

After all, even martial artists like Liu Yun had contracted with mounts like the Cracked Claw Wolf King.

It wasn't until they witnessed this astonishing scene that everyone realized what had happened.

With such unparalleled and unpredictable lightness skills, Lin Ye had no need for any mounted soldiers.

The speed with which it moved freely through the mountains and forests, seemingly oblivious to anything a hundred meters away, had already surpassed the speed limit of its mount.

In an instant, the morale of the entire army soared. The warriors looked at each other, their eyes filled with shock and ecstasy.

The fact that the lord's strength was already so terrifying undoubtedly gave his subordinates a powerful boost of confidence.

This is actually one of the main purposes of Lin Ye's autumn hunt this time: to intimidate people.

As the territory expanded, the small families and martial artists within the three counties became increasingly ambitious and scheming.

The patrol team has recently reported to him many signs of outward compliance but inward resistance.

Lin Ye needs to use his strength to show them who the true master of this land is.

As for why the contract for riding soldiers has not been signed yet, it is because Lin Yezhi is not here.

He planned to wait until the Fiery Lion materialized before making the contract, since the number of Dao soldiers that each person could contract was limited and the slots were precious.

As for those lower-ranking Dao soldiers, they are already a drop in the ocean in terms of increasing Lin Ye's current strength.

Therefore, he recently only contracted a third-rate gargoyle for reconnaissance and a third-rate communications soldier for communication.

The remaining low-ranking Dao soldiers were all rewarded to clansmen or warriors in the territory to improve overall combat strength.

Lin Ye carried a longbow on his back and a sword at his waist, his figure flying through the mountains and forests like a wisp of green smoke.

Since his agility and attack speed have greatly increased, he has picked up his swordsmanship again, while also not neglecting his spear, since the spear will be the main weapon for breaking through enemy lines and killing enemies on the battlefield in the future.

He leaped from branch to branch, searching for prey. The scene was vaguely similar to when Raize was scouting, but his state of mind was completely different.

At that time, he was filled with fear, lest he encounter a primordial demon beast. Now, however, he is carefree and leisurely, enjoying the thrill of the hunt.

After all, there are nests of demons around Jing County that suppress them, so there won't be any powerful demons, at most only second-rate demons.

After searching for a while, sure enough, under an ancient tree, Lin Ye discovered a monster that looked like a bear.

The beast was large and strong, with iron-gray fur. It was frantically rubbing its back against the tree trunk. When it stood up, it was more than ten feet tall, exuding a menacing aura.

With a sharp "crack," the tree, as thick as a person's embrace, was snapped in half by the force of the impact and crashed to the ground.

This brute strength is undoubtedly that of a second-rate demon beast.

Lin Ye stood atop the tree canopy.

He didn't rush in, but slowly took the iron-framed bow from his back and nocked three armor-piercing arrows. As he channeled his inner strength into it, the bow creaked under the strain, and then all three arrows were fired simultaneously!

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

The three arrows transformed into three streaks of dark light, tearing through the air and shooting out with a sharp whooshing sound.

The monster below sensed the danger and let out a deafening roar, its thick arms quickly covering its chest in an attempt to block the attack.

However, the arrows were too fast, and the armor-piercing arrows enhanced by internal energy had extremely strong penetrating power. With a few "thuds," they actually pierced through its thick fur and muscles, deeply embedding themselves in its chest. One of them even went straight for the heart.

The monster was severely injured and let out a painful howl, its massive body staggering back two steps.

But it was, after all, a second-rate demon beast, with truly astonishing vitality. It endured the excruciating pain, exerted its strength in all four limbs, and charged towards the tree where Lin Ye was like an out-of-control chariot, determined to crush this despicable human.

"Thump!"

With a loud crash, the tree was snapped in half, sending splinters flying everywhere.

However, the moment the arrow left the bowstring, Lin Ye had already gracefully descended and landed lightly on the ground without disturbing a single leaf.

At this moment, the monster was at its last gasp. Its internal energy exploded in its chest cavity, blasting out a bloody hole from which blood gushed out like a fountain.

No matter how strong its vitality, it was too late to save it. Relying on instinct, it made a final pounce, its claws swishing a foul stench as it clawed at Lin Ye's face.

Lin Ye's lips curled up slightly. Instead of retreating, he advanced, his figure flashing like a ghost, instantly appearing behind the demon beast.

A flash of cold light appeared, and the long sword at his waist was already drawn. A sword beam swept across, precisely severing the monster's carotid artery.

"puff--"

A huge head rolled off with a thud, and the monster's massive body twitched twice before collapsing heavily to the ground, never to rise again.

Lin Ye sheathed his sword, looking at his prey on the ground, his fighting spirit undiminished, but rather burning even more intensely.

Even with opponents of this strength, he still couldn't fully enjoy himself.

Lin Ye did not linger near the dead demon bear. He simply wiped the bloodstains off his sword and then dashed off into the depths of the forest.

After dealing with several similar second-rate monsters, Lin Ye felt a sense of boredom.

An opponent of this caliber can loosen his muscles, but cannot bring him a real sense of pressure.

What was churning in his mind now was the scene Liu Yun had described—a true meat grinder, a charge of ten thousand cavalrymen that shook the earth.

It was a desperate battle, a clash between top-tier martial artists who risked their lives, and a battle between acquired experts from a distance.

Only on such a brutal battlefield where life and death hang in the balance can one temper oneself, forcing one to tap into one's potential, thereby breaking through to the acquired realm, or even the higher innate realm, in exchange for the longevity one dreams of.

Lin Ye looked up to the north, where flocks of geese were already flying south across the sky.

Soon, winter will come, and the beacon fires in the north should be lit.