His entire family perished in battle; he rose from the ashes to conquer the world.

In just a few breaths, his broken body, which had previously been unable to even sit up, miraculously regained its strength.

When he opened his eyes, they were clear and his complexion was rosy.

"Thank you, Second Sister-in-law."

Su Wanqing looked at him with a complicated expression: "Is it worth it to exchange your life for temporary strength?"

Mu Yuan did not answer. He got out of bed briskly and walked to the tent entrance in a few steps, showing no trace of illness.

He lifted the curtain, feeling the whistling cold wind blowing his long black hair.

It was getting late, and only the distant campfires were clearly visible.

"Eldest sister-in-law, second sister-in-law."

He didn't turn around, his voice calm, as if he were talking about a trivial matter.

"If I don't do this, the Mu family will surely be completely wiped out, just like this bottomless night, with no chance of survival. So, rather than living a life of ignominy, watching helplessly as our enemies humiliate us and witnessing the tragic fate of our loved ones, why not transform into the fiercest fire, burning only for a short time, but burning out a ray of light?"

He closed his eyes in bliss, feeling the surging life force within him.

"What does sacrificing one's lifespan matter? I, Mu Yuan, will only die standing, never live on my knees."

……

It was still dark.

There was only silence in the world.

It was still far from dawn.

boom! boom! boom!

The deep, powerful beat of the drums rose rhythmically, like a sleeping lion awakening.

Then came Yang Daye's familiar booming voice: "Get up now! The commander-in-chief's order is that everyone assemble at the drill ground within one incense stick's time! Anyone who's late won't get any food today!"

Mu Yuan didn't sleep all night.

The effects of the "Marrow-Sucking Powder" were far more potent than he had imagined. Not only did his blood vessels feel like they were flowing with scorching magma, but his spirit was also heightened, showing no signs of fatigue whatsoever.

He had already mentally rehearsed today's training more than ten times, including every step of the movement and even the rhythm of his breathing.

After changing into ordinary soldier's armor, the cold, hard leather made his skin ache all over, and his joints felt stiff everywhere.

Gone are the warm leather coats and the luxurious, comfortable rooms; all he can grasp is a longsword, a common weapon among soldiers. The cold scabbard occasionally pats his thigh, seemingly reminding him that this is Zhan Yang.

When he arrived at the drill ground, there were already some people standing there.

They were all sleepy-eyed and yawning, some muttering curses, clearly extremely dissatisfied.

"It's only the hour of Yin (3-5 AM), why are we gathering so early? What's wrong with you? It's still pitch black."

"I heard the young master from the city is coming? I guess it's just for show, a formality."

"Hmph. He'll probably be bundled up in a thick fur coat, stand in front of us, say a few nice words, and then go back to sleep. Leaving us here to enjoy the cool breeze."

As they were complaining, the crowd suddenly fell silent. They saw Mu Yuan approaching.

He was dressed in ordinary leather armor and looked somewhat thin in the night. But every step he took was extremely steady, his steps precise and consistent, as if measured with a ruler, and his back was ramrod straight.

His face remained pale, and his eyes were as cold as ice that had never melted in a thousand years.

Yang Daye, Wang Lie, and other generals had also arrived. Upon seeing Mu Yuan's equipment, Yang Daye's eyes widened in disbelief.

"General, how can you wear this?" Yang Daye felt his eyes burning and could barely speak: "This leather armor is drafty and doesn't keep out the cold. The wind just keeps blowing into my body."

"No need for further words." Mu Yuan waved his hand. He had no intention of ascending the high command platform, and walked directly to the front of the troops, standing among them: "Wang Lie, come out!"

Wang Lie, who was in charge of the drills, twitched his lips and quickly stepped forward, saying, "Your subordinate is here!"

"As arranged yesterday, begin." Mu Yuan's eyes remained fixed straight ahead, his voice clearly reaching everyone's ears: "I'm just a new recruit right now, don't fucking think I'm some kind of commander. If I find you're not following the rules, I'll throw you out to the frontier to feed the wolves."

Wang Lie swallowed hard. A chill ran down his spine, and sweat soaked his underwear.

He took a deep breath, whirled around, and yelled at the still-dazed recruits and the veterans who were watching with amusement: "Everyone, start warming up! Run twenty laps around the drill ground. No breakfast, no lunch, until you finish!"

Gasps of astonishment filled the air.

One lap around the drill ground is two li, so twenty laps would be forty li!

For new recruits who have only recently joined the army, this is tantamount to taking their lives.

"So many? What's wrong with Coach Wang's hair?"

"This will be exhausting..."

Before he could finish speaking, a figure rushed onto the track.

It's Mu Yuan.

He wasn't moving too fast, in order to maintain a steady rhythm. Each step was synchronized with his breathing, making his movements dynamic and powerful. And so, he quickly disappeared from everyone's sight.

Upon seeing this, Yang Daye and the others dared not remain in a daze any longer.

"What the hell are you all standing there for! The commander has already started running, you little bastards, don't stop until your legs break!" Yang Daye shouted, kicking a timid recruit in the buttocks, and then led the officers to run after him.

At first, everyone thought that the young master was just putting on an act.

After running a lap or two, they'll find an excuse to leave.

After all, everyone knows that this Eighth Prince is a sickly person who can't even walk a few steps.

However, four laps passed quickly. Then, five laps, seven laps, ten laps...

Mu Yuan maintained a steady pace throughout. Like a pre-programmed machine, even his breathing and the amplitude of his arm swings remained unchanged.

But only Yang Dayan, who was right behind him, could see that Mu Yuan was already covered in sweat, with sweat dripping down his forehead and his leather armor showing some dampness.

Mu Yuan's face grew even paler, but the light in his eyes remained unwavering.

"General...General, why don't you take a break?" Yang Daye hurriedly stepped forward, terrified that Mu Yuan might not catch his breath and die on the training ground. He feared that even being torn to pieces would not atone for his sins.

Mu Yuan didn't have time to pay attention to him; all his energy was focused on calculating every bit of his body's potential and every limit.

My heart rate is still normal, my body temperature feels a bit high, but my bodily functions seem to be on the verge of collapse.

Intuition and experience tell me that the best course of action is to immediately stop the strenuous exercise, otherwise it will cause irreparable damage.

Damn it! It must be the "Marrow-Sucking Powder" that's recklessly draining my life force.

But no matter what, you have to finish the race.

What he was doing was no longer just running; he was risking his life to revitalize the morale and spirit of this army that was on the verge of falling apart.