Lin Feng emerged from the Council Hall and walked along the main street toward the North Gate.

The morning light had fully brightened, bathing the walls of Hangu Pass in a pale golden hue.

The main street was bustling with people: grain carts, soldiers changing shifts, the sound of footsteps, wheels creaking, and shouts all mixed together like a pot of freshly boiling porridge.

On the North Gate walls, the soldiers of the Night Whisper Legion were changing shifts; one squad withdrew from between the battlements as another took their place.

The soldiers withdrawing bore the fatigue of an all-nighter on their faces, while those taking over were full of energy, their gazes vigilant as they looked toward the northern wilderness.

Lin Feng slowed his pace, walking slowly along the base of the wall.

He didn't need to speak; his mere presence here told the soldiers that their lord was conducting an inspection.

A few soldiers from the Night Whisper Legion who had just come off duty were leaning against the wall, drinking water. Their canteens were military green and covered in dust.

Seeing Lin Feng approach, they hurriedly stood up and pressed their right fists to their chests, their movements as synchronized as if they had been rehearsed.

Lin Feng nodded, signaling them to continue resting.

They didn't sit down immediately, but instead watched Lin Feng walk a few steps away before leaning back against the wall and lowering their voices.

"Do you think our Beacon Fire Territory also has an advanced special barracks?"

A young soldier twisted the cap onto his canteen; his voice was very low, but the anticipation in his tone could not be hidden.

He had dark skin and rough palms, clearly the look of someone who had spent years making a living in the Nightmare World.

A man who looked like a veteran beside him wiped the sweat from his face and ➤ NоvеⅠight ➤ (Read more on our source) shot him a sidelong glance: "Great Wall is an advanced wonder, so how could we be missing an advanced special barracks? Haven't you seen those Black-Armored Elite Soldiers? Their equipment is uniform, they're well-trained, and they cut through orcs like chopping melons and vegetables—that's the work of an advanced special barracks."

The young soldier's eyes brightened, and he leaned in, lowering his voice: "Then... can we switch?"

He paused, his voice dropping even lower. "A first-promotion scroll is too hard to get; I'll never have a chance in this lifetime. If I could switch to a special unit, not only would I get a set of equipment for free, but I could also level up to nineteen... I heard that those from the advanced special barracks can even undergo a second promotion later, turning directly into a level twenty professional."

The veteran was silent for a moment, not answering.

Another soldier leaning against the wall chimed in: "It seems there aren't any slots for special units in the merit exchange list yet. I asked Battalion Commander Zhao last time, and he said they were still researching it. He also said that the Lord hasn't confirmed the organizational structure of the Night Whisper Legion yet, so he's only acting battalion commander and can't make the call."

The young soldier sighed, his gaze dimming slightly: "Then how long will we have to wait?"

The veteran patted his shoulder, his voice steady: "What's the rush? Deputy Battalion Commander A Wang also said at the meeting a few days ago that slots for special units will be added to the merit exchange list later, but the price definitely won't be low. He told us to work hard, save up merit, and don't be caught unprepared when the opportunity comes."

The young soldier nodded vigorously, his fists clenching unconsciously: "My patrol mission completion rate for the past three days has been one hundred percent, and I've gained three points of merit. If I save for a year, it should be enough."

"A year? How much can you save in a year?" The veteran scoffed and shook his head. "A patrol only gives one point of merit, and a special unit slot definitely won't be cheap—at least one thousand merit points. If you only complete basic patrol missions, when will that ever happen?"

The young soldier was unconvinced and stiffened his neck: "Then I'll donate more supplies! The territory has been collecting Copper Ingots. I've been mining in the Nightmare World for three years and saved up ten Copper Ingots; I donated them all and got fifty points of merit."

The veteran rolled his eyes: "You said yourself it took you three years to save ten units of Copper Ingots. You've mined until your arms are thick, but that's not as good as killing more orcs while defending the city later. One battle's worth of merit is worth half a year of your mining."

The young soldier opened his mouth, about to retort, when the veteran suddenly straightened up and pressed his right fist to his chest.

The young soldier froze, turned his head, and saw Lin Feng, who had returned at some point and was standing a few steps away, watching them with a calm gaze.

The three of them stood straight at the same time. The young soldier was so nervous his lips were trembling; he was still clutching the canteen cap, having forgotten to screw it back on.

The veteran was composed; he pressed his right fist to his chest, his voice not loud but clear: "My Lord."

Lin Feng nodded, said nothing more, and walked past them.

After walking two steps, he suddenly stopped, turned his head, and said in a low voice: "The merit exchange list—slots for special units—they will be there. The price won't be too low, but it won't be beyond your reach either."

He paused. "Keep up the good work."

Then he continued walking forward without looking back.

Behind him, the three soldiers stood stunned in place.

The young soldier was the first to react, his eyes instantly turning red, his voice trembling: "D-did the Lord just... talk to us?"

The veteran took a deep breath, hung his canteen back on his waist, and patted his shoulder firmly: "Stop talking nonsense. The Lord said, keep up the good work."

Lin Feng finished his inspection of the North Gate wall and turned toward the military training grounds.

The training grounds were in the northwest military district, right next to the North Gate, and were as large as two or three football fields.

The ground was covered with gravel and sand, crunching underfoot.

On the training grounds, over two hundred soldiers of the New Moon Legion were arranged in four phalanxes, practicing shield wall advancement under the commands of the Vice Captain.

The Vice Captain was a lean, tough man in his early thirties. His voice wasn't loud, but it had great penetrating power; with every command he shouted, the phalanx moved forward in unison.

The dull thuds of clashing shields and the sound of spears striking the ground mixed together like low, rhythmic drumbeats.

Feng Qingyan stood on a stone platform at the edge of the training ground, her staff propped at her feet, arms crossed, trying hard to strike a majestic pose.

She wore a fiery red tunic with her ponytail tied high, and the Fire Crystal at the top of her staff occasionally sparked a small flame.

Her Vice Captain, Zhou Tie, a veteran with a scar on his face, was pacing back and forth in front of the phalanx, his gaze sweeping over every row of soldiers like a hawk.

He stopped when he reached the third row and kicked the heel of one of the soldiers: "Your step is too small; take a bigger one."

The soldier quickly adjusted, sweat covering his forehead. Zhou Tie continued walking forward, his voice not loud but each word carrying undeniable authority.

"A shield wall advancement relies on the whole, not the individual. If one person takes too small a step, the entire formation dips inward. The enemy will target that dent. If you want to survive, open up your stride."

Feng Qingyan watched this scene, muttering to herself: "Zhou Tie is better suited to be the Captain than I am... What was Sister Jiang thinking back then..."

But she didn't say it out loud.

She just stood on the stone platform, occasionally shouting "Keep your spirits up" or "Don't slack off." Her crisp voice sounded somewhat abrupt amidst the commands on the training ground.

When the soldiers heard her voice, their movements would speed up by half a beat, but no one turned to look at her—not out of disrespect, but because they were afraid of being punished by the Vice Captain if they turned around.