The Times Have Changed

"Uncle Zhou, there's no need for such formalities." Ye Tian quickly helped Zhou Long to his feet.

He had saved Zhou Long but never regarded him as a subordinate.

Even though Zhou Long had always shown him utmost respect, even willing to sacrifice his life for him, Ye Tian understood the weight of a Title Douluo and knew that respect was necessary.

He introduced the two women, saying, "This is the leader of my secret unit, Scorpion Douluo Zhou Long."

After a pause, he turned to Zhou Long and introduced, "This is my elder sister, and this is Nana, my newly adopted younger sister."

Zhou Long bowed and said, "Since they are the young master's sister and younger sister, they are the people I respect the most. If they need anything, just say the word."

Bibi Dong nodded calmly. After all, she was a Super Douluo herself and frequently interacted with Title Douluos in the Spirit Hall, so she was not easily fazed.

However, Hu Liena was taken aback. As a Six-Ring Soul Emperor, she still felt lingering fear in the presence of a Title Douluo's pressure.

Ye Tian didn't notice the differing expressions of the two women. He looked at Zhou Long and said, "Uncle Zhou, initiate Drill Plan A. I want to see how the troops have been training recently."

Zhou Long, with a firm expression, immediately saluted Ye Tian. "Yes, young master!"

He then pulled out a firework from his storage belt and, with a pull, a signal flare shot into the sky.

A piercing alarm began to ring in everyone's ears, and the soldiers engaged in their daily training swiftly and methodically assembled, entering combat readiness.

Ye Tian took his sister's and Hu Liena's hands with a light smile. "Come, let's go and take a look."

As the alarm sounded, the entire valley's troops were mobilized.

Ye Tian had already structured the forces, organizing them into ten battalions, each with five hundred soldiers, making a total of five thousand troops.

At this moment, the soldiers from all ten battalions were assembling in the central training ground of the valley in a neat and uniform formation, like ten large squares.

The sheer orderliness of it all startled Hu Liena.

As a Holy Maiden trained by the Spirit Hall, she had taken military theory courses and knew just how difficult it was to get a force of five thousand soldiers to move in such perfect unison.

"Could it be just for show? Neat formations mean nothing if there's no combat strength," Hu Liena said, casting a skeptical glance at Ye Tian.

"How about we make a bet?" Ye Tian chuckled, locking eyes with Hu Liena's beautiful gaze. "If the troops' combat strength is decent, you give me a kiss."

Hu Liena's face turned slightly red. "And if the combat strength is terrible? It won't be you kissing me, will it? I'd be at a disadvantage."

"If the combat strength is lacking, I'll help you advance to the Soul Saint level. Does that sound fair?" Ye Tian said with mild exasperation. His younger sister was quite stingy.

Hu Liena's eyes widened in surprise. She hadn't expected Ye Tian to be able to help her level up.

In the world of Douluo, helping someone increase their soul power was unheard of. If it could be done, it would be a miraculous technique!

Even Bibi Dong couldn't help but glance over, asking softly, "Xiao Tian, can you really help people level up?"

Facing his sister, Ye Tian didn't hide anything. "Of course. I just need to refine a few elixirs, then use my Taiyi Divine Needles combined with acupuncture at key points. Raising seven or eight levels in a short period is no problem at all."

"However, these methods are very mentally exhausting, so I won't use them casually."

Zhou Long, standing nearby, confirmed, "The young master truly has this ability. When I first met him, I had not only suffered serious injuries but had also damaged my soul power foundation. I was on the verge of Qi deviation, and my cultivation was only at the eighty-fourth level, a Soul Douluo."

"If it weren't for the young master, I would have undoubtedly died."

"Fortunately, I met Master Ye Tian. With his treatment and nurturing of my foundation, in just two years, I've now reached the ninety-fourth level as a Title Douluo."

Upon hearing Zhou Long's words, Bibi Dong fell into deep thought.

Advancing from Soul Douluo to Title Douluo was the hardest step in cultivation, much more difficult than advancing from Soul Emperor to Soul Saint by dozens of times.

She hadn't expected Ye Tian to be capable of helping a Soul Douluo break through to the Title Douluo level!

This technique was truly miraculous.

The Spirit Hall had countless Soul Douluos, but only a handful of Title Douluos. Among her subordinates, only Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo were Title Douluos.

If Ye Tian were willing to help the Soul Douluos of Spirit Hall increase their cultivation, wouldn't her forces grow immensely stronger?

With several Title Douluos at her disposal, she could even bypass the restrictions of the Elder Hall and tighten her control over the Spirit Hall.

At this thought, Bibi Dong's heart began to race.

Ye Tian had shocked her again and again, and this was likely just the tip of the iceberg—there were surely even more surprises to come.

Hearing Zhou Long's confirmation, Hu Liena still pursed her lips in disbelief, suspecting they were exaggerating. She had painstakingly climbed through each level, and knew how difficult it was for a Soul Emperor to advance to a Soul Saint. How could it be that easy?

While she remained doubtful, Bibi Dong suddenly smiled and spoke softly, "Nana, why not agree to Xiao Tian's bet?"

"Teacher..." Hu Liena's face turned bright red.

If she lost, she'd have to kiss Ye Tian.

She had never kissed a boy before.

But since her teacher had spoken, Hu Liena could only agree. She pouted and stared at Ye Tian, her face flushed as she muttered, "Fine, I'll agree."

Hearing Hu Liena's faint voice, Ye Tian chuckled softly. "Uncle Zhou, have the first squad of the first battalion load their rifles and shoot at the range."

"Yes, young master!" Uncle Zhou immediately flew over to the first battalion and personally commanded the shooting.

Ye Tian, holding the hands of the two women, sat in the viewing area beside the shooting range.

The first squad, a hundred men strong, stood at a distance of eight hundred meters, ready to shoot, waiting only for Ye Tian's command.

Before the shooting even began, Hu Liena couldn't help but laugh, "Brother Ye Tian, the soldiers are standing so far away, how are they supposed to hit the targets?"

"Even a Soul Douluo-level expert with a bow and arrow wouldn't be able to hit a target from eight hundred meters away, right?"

Ye Tian smiled lightly, "This is where you're mistaken."

"The maximum range of a 98K rifle is twelve hundred meters. Within that range, it can easily pierce through armor."

"That's why I said the times have changed. Wearing armor on the battlefield is no different from not wearing it."

Hu Liena's eyes sparkled with curiosity as she stared at the wooden targets on the range.

Those targets were made of Iron Thornwood, as hard as iron, with the strength and defense of a Soul King.

Ordinary weapons couldn't break through Iron Thornwood.

Could it be that the 98K rifles in the soldiers' hands were more powerful than a Soul King?

"Fire!" Ye Tian, glancing at Hu Liena's pale face, laughed softly as he launched the flare in his hand, giving the order to the soldiers.

Sister, you're about to lose this bet.

At the sight of the flare, the soldiers instantly pulled their triggers, then swiftly chambered another round in one fluid motion.

In just thirty seconds, each soldier had fired eight shots.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The sounds were incessant.

As the gunpowder smoke cleared, the hundred Iron Thornwood targets were shattered beyond recognition.

Seeing this, Hu Liena's pupils dilated, and she gasped in astonishment.

"How is this possible?!"

The firepower was terrifying!

A five-ring Soul King wouldn't be able to withstand such a barrage of attacks, and even a six-ring Soul Emperor wouldn't be able to hold up under this kind of firepower!

And this was just the attack of a hundred soldiers.

What if it were five thousand?

It was unimaginable, truly unimaginable!

"How is it impossible?" Ye Tian smiled as he moved closer to Hu Liena. "The proof is right in front of you. Now do you believe in the power of the 98K? Do you see now that I can protect you? Time to pay up on your bet!"

(T/N: Dude gonna get pegged by Bibi Dong the moment her identity is revealed)

(End of Chapter)