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

Lin Ye spurred the Crimson-Eyed Tiger Guards and walked step by step toward the center of the training ground.

Upon seeing this, the crowd in front instinctively made way for them, even lowering their whispers.

The brocade-clad warrior standing in the center of the arena, who had just been receiving cheers from the crowd, now noticed Lin Ye's arrival.

He squinted, sizing up the young boy riding on the tiger-shaped Taoist soldier. Seeing his youthful face, he concluded that he was some pampered young master. The silver spear and wax figure head were good for show but useless. He couldn't help but feel a sense of contempt.

However, he quickly remembered that the city was currently filled with lords and various factions, so he toned down his arrogance and asked in a deep voice, "Which lord's army are you from?"

"The Lin family of Xiang County," Lin Ye replied calmly.

The brocade-clad warrior quickly searched his memory and confirmed that he had never heard of the "Lin family of Xiang County".

Upon hearing the words "Xiang County," he realized that the other party was only a third-rate baron, while his own master was a second-rate viscount. He immediately felt relieved and a mocking smile appeared on his lips.

"Where did this kid come from? Let your parents do it!" He threw his head back and laughed loudly, his voice filled with obvious sarcasm. "Hahaha, what right do you have to speak in a situation like this?"

Such language is considered polite in military competitions; far more vulgar provocations abound.

Lin Ye, however, was not angry. He simply sat steadily on the back of the Crimson-Eyed Tiger Guard, gently shook his head, and said with a calm but undeniably sharp gaze: "You are no match for me. Find someone else."

As soon as he finished speaking, the training ground fell silent for a moment, and everyone's eyes were focused on Lin Ye and the brocade-clad martial artist. The atmosphere suddenly became subtle.

Upon hearing this, the burly man in brocade robes frowned and said no more. He suddenly raised his broadsword, channeling his inner strength into it. Although the blade was made of wood, it emitted a whistling sound as it cut through the air.

He sprang up like a black shadow, rushing straight towards Lin Ye's head. Just before reaching Lin Ye's head, he leaped and slashed in mid-air, his blade sharp and fierce.

Although it was a wooden sword used in a competition, the power of this strike, driven by internal force, was enough to make an ordinary second-rate martial artist flustered.

Lin Ye remained seated atop the Crimson-Eyed Tiger Guard, his expression calm, without even making any move to dodge.

Just as the cold glint of the wooden sword was almost within reach, the Crimson-Eyed Tiger Guard's eyes suddenly shot out a crimson ray, aiming straight for the vital spot on the chest of the burly man in brocade.

Although the burly man in brocade robes leaped down with a slash, seemingly old and with no way to turn around, he was able to represent his family in battle and had won several consecutive matches, demonstrating his extremely rich combat experience.

Facing an opponent of unknown origin like Lin Ye, his previous jumping strike was a feint, using only half his strength, leaving room for change.

Seeing the fiery rays approaching, he didn't hesitate. He flipped his wrist, and his wooden sword moved diagonally from bottom to top, changing from a slash to a parry, directly blocking the rays.

"Bang--!"

The crimson ray collided violently with the wooden sword infused with internal energy, bursting out a blinding light and an instant heat wave that caused the soldiers watching the battle to involuntarily take a half step back.

A moment later, the ray was blocked by the wooden sword, and the burly man in brocade landed steadily, unharmed.

However, when he looked down at the weapon in his hand, his expression changed slightly. The sturdy wooden sword had been cut in two by the ray.

There were even tiny flames burning at the broken edge, clearly indicating that internal force and fire energy had penetrated into the wood grain.

The entire field fell silent. The once noisy training ground was now quiet, with even the sound of breathing becoming lighter.

Lin Ye remained seated steadily on the Tiger Guard, his gaze calm, as if the dangerous attack just now was nothing more than a casual gesture.

The burly man in brocade robes, holding the broken half of his sword, looked at Lin Ye with a completely different expression.

"A first-rate Taoist soldier..." the burly man in brocade murmured softly, his voice just loud enough for the surrounding soldiers to hear clearly.

As soon as he said that, an uproar broke out both inside and outside the training ground.

The onlookers were both surprised and suspicious. Who would have thought that this young man, who looked too young, was actually a first-class martial artist?

After all, in this world, unless one's own cultivation reaches the first-class level, it is absolutely impossible to contract a first-class Dao weapon.

This is a common problem in this world; it is difficult to judge a martial artist's level from their appearance or temperament unless they actually make a move and the extent of damage caused by their internal energy is used to infer it.

When Lin Ye first arrived, he found it extremely difficult to adapt. He remembered that the "powerful aura" and "intimidating presence" plots from his previous life's novels were completely absent here.

Later, he could only console himself that it was probably because this was just a world of martial arts, and hadn't yet developed to that fantastical level.

"Wait, I remember now!" A soldier in the crowd suddenly widened his eyes and pointed at the Crimson-Eyed Tiger Guard.

"I didn't notice its eyes just now. This black tiger soldier... this is a first-class soldier, the 'Crimson-Eyed Tiger Guard'! It's a soldier from the Bloodshed Sect!"

"The Blood-Draining Sect?!" The burly man in brocade robes was shocked, and cold sweat instantly seeped from his forehead.

The Bloodstained Sect is a behemoth that controls an entire prefecture, and it is definitely not something that a second-rate baronial family like his can afford to offend.

"They shouldn't be from the Bloodshed Sect," another soldier chimed in. "The Bloodshed Sect has always been stationed in Yanmen County. This Tiger Guard was probably acquired by chance."

The burly man in brocade dared not linger any longer and only wanted to leave as soon as possible to avoid bringing unwarranted disaster upon his family.

He hurriedly clasped his hands in a fist and said in a deep voice, "Thank you for showing mercy!" After saying that, he turned around and walked quickly into the crowd, his back view showing a hint of panic.

On the training ground, Lin Ye remained seated atop the Crimson-Eyed Tiger Guard, his gaze slowly sweeping across the surroundings.

Lin Ye looked at the crowd, smiled slightly, and with a flick of his spear, said proudly, "I am Lin Ye of the Lin family of Xiang County, a first-rate martial artist. I am new here today. Is there any fellow martial artist who would like to come up and exchange a few blows?"

The crowd fell silent for a moment, then a martial artist in his forties stepped forward.

This man had a dark complexion, a steady gait, and held a pair of black iron whips in his hands, clearly indicating that he was also a first-rate martial artist.

"Zhu Biao from the Zhu family of Lintao Prefecture has come to offer his guidance." The voice was loud and clear, carrying the ruggedness of a man from the Northwest.

Lin Ye quickly reviewed the information in his mind. The Zhu family of Lintao Prefecture was the lord of the neighboring prefecture. They owned a second-rate stronghold, so it was not surprising that they produced first-rate martial artists.

He flipped off the back of the Crimson-Eyed Tiger Guard with the lightness of a swallow, and at the same time drew his sword from his waist and clasped his hands in a salute to Zhu Biao.

Zhu Biao secretly breathed a sigh of relief as he watched Lin Ye's actions.

He was actually skilled in mounted combat, but unfortunately his mount was only a third-rate Taoist soldier. If he were to fight the Crimson-Eyed Tiger Guard head-on, he would be far inferior in both speed and power, so he could only choose to fight on foot.

Fortunately, the opposing side seemed to understand the unspoken rules of the army: having dismounted, they fought foot-to-foot combat, thus not taking advantage of the road troops.

If Lin Ye doesn't understand the rules and insists on fighting while riding the Crimson-Eyed Tiger Guard, then he won't be able to win this battle at all.

As fellow first-rate martial artists, the advantage of riding a first-rate Dao soldier was simply too great; he had no chance of winning.

Zhu Biao gripped his double whips tightly, his gaze sharp, and gave a low shout: "Please!"

Lin Ye nodded slightly, his sword pointing diagonally at the ground, his internal energy slowly circulating within him.