Starting as a Grandmaster, all of my cultivation techniques are at max level.

As his voice fell, a steady, powerful footstep suddenly sounded outside the palace gate, approaching from afar.

Before long, a tall figure strode into the hall.

The newcomer was dressed in jet-black armor, exuding a chilling aura.

As soon as he entered the hall, he quickly walked to the head of the hall, knelt on one knee, and placed his right fist against his chest, performing a standard military salute.

"Disciple Qisong greets Master!"

"Get up." The Grand Master raised his hand, his tone unusually gentle.

Qisong stood up in response, his gaze naturally turning to Xia Jin and Chu Hou standing in the hall, a hint of curiosity in his eyes.

So these are the disciples Master took in from the mortal realm?

He secretly observed the two of them. Some time ago, he had heard that his master planned to bring two disciples from the lower realm to Silver Sand City in the Mirage Cloud Realm. However, at the time, he thought his master was joking.

After all, no matter how strong one is in the lower realm, once one enters this Mirage Realm, it's nothing special.

However, his meeting with Xia Jin and Marquis Chu at this moment somewhat shattered his preconceived notions.

Although the bald man appeared to be only at the Creation Realm, his profound aura was unlike that of a newly arrived cultivator from the lower realms. The young man beside him with long purple hair was even more enigmatic, to the point that even the bald man himself found difficult to understand.

"Seven Pine Trees." The Grand Hall Master's voice pulled him back to reality. "These two are Xia Jin and Chu Hou, disciples of the temple I established in the lower realm."

Upon hearing this, Qisong solemnly clasped his hands in greeting to the two men, a hearty smile spreading across his face: "My two junior brothers, I've heard so much about you."

Xia Jin and Chu Hou quickly returned the greeting, saying at the same time, "Greetings, Senior Brother Qisong."

The Grand Hall Master glanced at the three of them, then pointed to Qisong and introduced him: "Qisong is the only disciple I have personally accepted since I came to this Mirage Cloud Realm. He now serves as the commander of my Silver Sand City, leading the Silver Sand Army and protecting the city's safety. From now on, you two will follow him and obey his orders."

Upon hearing these words, both Xia Jin and Marquis Chu sensed their weight.

The only disciple he accepted personally, this Silver Sand Army commander, who is even more robust than the Marquis of Chu, is probably far more talented and powerful than he appears on the surface.

Upon hearing this, Qisong turned to look at the Grand Hall Master and respectfully said, "Master, rest assured, this disciple will take good care of my two junior brothers."

The Grand Master nodded: "Alright, now that the people are in your hands, take them away. You can arrange their lodgings and duties."

"Yes, Master. My two junior brothers, please follow me!"

Qisong bowed to the main hall master again, then nodded to Xia Jin and the other person, before turning and walking out of the hall.

The three of them did not walk far after leaving the city lord's mansion.

In the short time it takes to drink half a cup of tea, they arrived at a military camp in Silver Sand City.

A huge training ground appeared before the three of them, covering an area of ​​at least several hundred acres.

On the drill ground, squads of soldiers clad in black armor were training, amidst the glint of swords and the deafening shouts of battle. Each soldier exuded a palpable aura of menace, the kind of presence one only acquires through battlefield experience and life-or-death struggles.

"Creation Realm!! Even ordinary soldiers are Creation Realm beings!!" Chu Hou, who was following behind, looked at the hundreds of Silver Sand Army soldiers wielding their weapons in the distance, and his expression changed instantly.

Even Xia Jin, who had now reached the third level of the Ascension Realm, narrowed his eyes at the scene before him. He knew that back in the Divine Temple, there were only a few dozen disciples at the Creation Realm. And each of those disciples was a genius, one in ten thousand.

However, once they arrived in the Mirage Realm, these prodigies seemed to be nothing more than low-ranking soldiers.

"As expected, we underestimated the Mirage Realm! It truly lives up to its reputation as the center where numerous small worlds converge. The so-called geniuses of the lower realms are nothing more than ordinary beings here. However, this suits my purposes perfectly! Climbing to the top by stepping on these people brings a greater sense of accomplishment!!" A fighting spirit suddenly ignited in Xia Jin's eyes.

Seemingly noticing that Xia Jin and the other person had suddenly stopped, Qi Song, who was walking in front, also stopped at almost the same time, turned around, glanced at Xia Jin and Chu Hou, and then focused his attention on the Silver Sand Army not far away.

His face still held a smile, but the look in his eyes became serious.

"My two junior brothers, do you see the soldiers of our Silver Sand Army? Since you're new here, I can't readily assign you any important positions," Qi Song's stern voice reached Xia Jin and his companion's ears. "However, in this military camp, only one principle is followed: the strong are respected. What you want, you must strive for yourself!"

Xia Jin and Chu Hou exchanged a glance, both seeing a hint of understanding in each other's eyes.

That's not surprising. Military camps have always been places where strength speaks volumes, and that principle applies everywhere.

Seeing the calm expressions on their faces, Qi Song's eyes flashed with satisfaction. He continued, "Now, besides myself as the commander, my Silver Sand Army has three captains and eighteen squad leaders. These twenty-one men are the core fighting force of my Silver Sand Army, and each one of them is a skilled and courageous warrior."

He paused, his gaze sweeping across the two faces.

"For the sake of our master, I will give you two choices today."

"First, you can serve as my personal guards and stay by my side. This option is naturally safer for the two of you. You won't have to go out of the city to fight, and you'll just handle some military affairs and run errands on a daily basis."

"Secondly, randomly select any of these captains or squad leaders. If you can defeat them, you can replace them. However, once you become captains, you will be required to leave Silver Sand City at any time to fight in the outside world, and you will be responsible for your own life and death."

After speaking, Qisong stopped talking and simply looked at the two of them quietly, waiting for their reply.

Xia Jin and Chu Hou exchanged a glance and then smiled at each other.

Chu Hou took a step forward, looking directly into Qi Song's eyes, and said confidently, "Senior Brother Qi Song, we two came to this Mirage Realm from the lower realm with great difficulty, not just to coast along. We want to break through our limits and improve our strength."

"Senior Brother Xia is right. If we were just looking for comfort, we could have stayed in the lower realm. Why would we have come all this way here?" Xia Jin nodded in agreement.

"I would also appreciate it if Senior Brother Qisong could arrange for us to challenge the captains of these Silver Sand Army."

After listening to what Chu Hou and Xia Jin said, Qi Song was stunned for a moment, but then his originally serious face quickly turned into a smile, which even turned into a hearty laugh.

"Good! Good! Good!"

He said "good" three times in a row, and his smiling voice even caught the attention of some Silver Sand Army soldiers.

To be honest, he had given them these two options to see how Xia Jin and the other person would choose. If they chose the first path because of their master, he wouldn't say anything to their face, but he would definitely look down on them.

After all, in this Mirage Realm, in this Silver Sand City, those who fear challenges and crave comfort will never become true strongmen.

But now, the performance of these two junior brothers from the lower realm has completely put his mind at ease.

"Since you're so determined, I, your senior brother, will naturally not stop you." Qi Song looked at the two with admiration in his eyes. "Then come with me!"

After saying that, he strode towards the depths of the training ground, until he stepped onto the high platform in the center of the training ground.

Xia Jin and Chu Hou exchanged a glance, nodded simultaneously, and quickly followed.

On the training ground, the Silver Sand Army soldiers who were training stopped what they were doing and looked around curiously when they saw their commander personally leading two unfamiliar faces over.

Meanwhile, the captains who were resting in their respective camps seemed to have sensed something unusual, and one by one they came out of their barracks.

A faint scent of impending rain filled the air.