The comments said I was deeply affectionate, I just added points by using an alternate account.

"What do you think you rely on to punch a tree?"

He asked the question with feigned authority.

"strength?"

It was that same headstrong company commander who answered, forcing himself to stay calm.

"muscle?"

Another soldier added in a low voice.

"wrong!"

The white tiger shook its head: "All wrong!"

He raised his right hand, slowly clenching it into a fist without any exaggerated gestures. His movements were even somewhat slow, so slow that everyone could clearly see the trajectory of his fist.

There was no sound of something cutting through the air, no cool special effects, and not even a wisp of wind or snow.

That punch landed unremarkably on the rough tree trunk.

A dull thud rang out, sounding much like the sounds the soldiers had made earlier.

Then, the white tiger withdrew his fist, and the bark at the spot where he withdrew his fist remained intact.

Long Ao frowned, completely baffled by this seemingly mysterious punch.

An Changqing's gaze suddenly froze.

The white tiger extended two fingers and casually poked the spot where it had just struck.

Splash!

A whole, palm-sized, round piece of bark, along with the deeper layers of wood, silently peeled off and fell onto the snow. The cut was as smooth as a mirror, and a perfect fist-shaped mark, three inches deep, was clearly imprinted in the heartwood.

The entire training ground was completely silent.

You could hear a pin drop.

The soldiers stared wide-eyed at the deep fist mark, then looked at their own swollen and bleeding fists, their minds blank. This was something that couldn't be done by sheer strength.

They finally realized, belatedly, that this strange newcomer was actually a big shot.

"Do you understand?"

The white tiger brushed the wood chips off its hands, raised its eyebrows smugly, and was clearly very happy about showing off in front of people.

"You, come here."

He was pointing at the hot-headed company commander. He jumped up instinctively and ran to Baihu.

"arrive!"

Tell me, why did you join the army?

The white tiger suddenly asked a completely unrelated question.

The company commander hesitated for a moment, but still answered loudly, "Defend our homeland!"

"Too much space."

White Tiger shook his head in dissatisfaction: "Give me something more specific."

The company commander thought for a moment, a hint of tenderness appearing in his eyes.

"So that my wife and child can live a peaceful life."

"very good."

The white tiger nodded and pointed to another intact tree.

"Now, forget strength, forget muscles, forget you're a soldier."

"Just think about one thing."

"A monster is charging towards your home, and your wife and children are right in front of it."

"You have no gun, no knife, only these fists."

"Go, blow it up."

Baihu's words were like a fuse, instantly igniting the deepest emotions in the company commander's heart. His breathing became heavy, and his eyes quickly became bloodshot from the scene that had been depicted.

He clenched his teeth so hard they cracked, pouring all his thoughts and his love for his wife and children into this one punch, slamming it hard against the tree trunk.

"Click."

A soft cracking sound, completely different from a muffled thud, rang out.

The company commander was stunned. He withdrew his hand with trembling hands and saw that although there was no fist mark on the hard tree trunk, there was a clear spider web-like mark made up of countless tiny cracks.

done?

Although it was clumsy, it actually turned out well.

The white tiger smiled and silently tucked a small bird into its sleeve.

His summoned beast can stir up people's deepest fears.

The spiderweb-like cracks in the snow, like a poorly drawn abstract painting, were imprinted on the hard tree trunks, and also on the hearts of every soldier.

The entire training ground was silent, save for the howling wind whistling through the treetops.

The company commander stared blankly at his fist, which was still covered in blood and swelling, but he felt no pain, only an indescribable shock.

He did it.

Although it was far less impressive than that man's astonishing punch, he truly used his own flesh and blood to leave a mark in an impossible place.

"How are you feeling?" Baihu's lazy voice broke the silence. He strolled over to the company commander and patted him on the shoulder.

"I..." The company commander opened his mouth, then subconsciously said, "I think I understand something."

"You don't understand anything," Baihu bluntly exposed him.

He turned to all the soldiers: "You think that punch was delivered by brute force?"

The white tiger shook its head: "No."

He held up one finger and tapped his chest.

"It's thanks to this."

"When your bodies reach their limits, when your weapons fail, when you face incomprehensible fears, the only thing you can rely on is your will."

Baihu's gaze swept over Long Ao and An Changqing, and the playful look in his eyes made them both feel somewhat uncomfortable.

"Physical training can hone your body, but it can't hone the courage to throw a punch in a desperate situation."

He then looked at An Changqing.

"Tactical simulations can help you coordinate well, but they can't calculate how quickly people's hearts can collapse under fear."

Long Ao clenched his fists quietly at his side. He wanted to refute, but found himself speechless.

An Changqing lowered his head, realizing his own shallowness as a man who had always been confident.

"As for you," Baihu finally turned his attention to the soldiers, "you are the most elite soldiers of the Great Wall, but your will is as fragile as a Doritos chip."

"You are no match for those in the extraordinary realm, but believe that the power of the mind is limitless."

His words were harsh, but this time, no one showed any sign of resentment.

"So, that kid's idea of ​​having you hit trees was correct; it was all about building up your willpower."

Baihu suddenly changed the subject, nodding his chin at Chen Guan, who was sitting on a rock watching the show.

Chen Guan nodded to himself, "That's exactly what I was thinking."

You understand me.

"But he forgot to tell you that fists alone are useless; they have to be filled with something, filled with everything you want to protect."

White Tiger walked back to the tree where the fist mark was left, his back to the crowd, exuding the air of a master.

"Now, everyone, continue."

"Forget the power, forget the pain, and forget the punch I just threw."

"Think about why you're standing here."

"Then, put that reason into the tree."

This time, no one hesitated. The soldiers silently dispersed, each finding a tree and setting up their fighting positions.

The dull thuds of the blows rang out again, one after another.

Su Yuehe's gaze shifted back and forth between Baihu and Chen Guan. She always felt that there was a peculiar tacit understanding between the two.

An Changqing walked to Chen Guan's side and asked in a low voice, "Is this your purpose?"

"To be honest, no." Chen Guan shrugged and answered confidently, "I just think that the image of a fist hitting a tree is more impactful, at least it doesn't look like we're neglecting our duties."

An Changqing: "..."

He felt his temples throbbing again.