Merit of the Vanguard!

"Army Lord has returned!"

"Army Lord Luo has returned!"

After everyone returned to the temporary camp the Divine Phoenix Army had hastily built overnight.

The military camp stretching for ten li instantly erupted in ceaseless cries!

Countless soldiers were exhilarated, as though they had found their backbone once more!

At last.

All officers and soldiers gathered on the parade ground. Luo Shenhuang stepped onto the command platform and, without any unnecessary words, said only one sentence: "Your Army Lord has returned!"

For a time, the hundred thousand-strong Divine Phoenix Army burst into jubilant cheers!

Only when Luo Shenhuang spoke again did they gradually quiet down. "This time, when we were ambushed by the Northern Barbarian army, the greatest credit for my safe return belongs to the soldiers of the Elite Vanguard Camp!"

Elite Vanguard Camp!

For a moment, every officer and soldier present fell silent!

Yesterday, both the Divine Phoenix Army and the Northern Barbarian army had witnessed the Elite Vanguard Camp's ferocity. They had indeed played a pivotal role in the battle!

Unfortunately, after the battle was counted, not one of the thousand men in the Elite Vanguard Camp had survived!

"More importantly, last night on the battlefield, when I collapsed unconscious from exhaustion, it was an Elite Vanguard Camp soldier who carried me out of the encirclement and off the battlefield. Only then did this Army Lord survive!"

"Now, let us welcome this Elite Vanguard Camp soldier—Ding Hao!!"

Following Luo Shenhuang's words, Ding Hao, who had already removed his heavy armor and now wore a prison uniform, stepped onto the command platform!

Below the platform, the hundred thousand Divine Phoenix Army soldiers immediately broke into an uproar!

"Huh? He's actually a death-row convict?"

"It's him! Yesterday on the battlefield, I saw it with my own eyes—it was this man who led the Elite Vanguard Camp in a fearless charge!"

"A death-row convict possessing such ability—truly astonishing!"

"Not only did he survive and seize the Merit of the Vanguard, he even saved the Army Lord's life. His merit towers above all three armies!!"

"..."

It was not only the soldiers; even Ding Yishan and the other officers cast sidelong glances at him.

That was because Ding Hao's merit this time was enough to make even generals like them envious!

Only one of them—a tall, powerfully built general with a tiger's back and bear's waist—wore a gloomy expression, his eyes icy as he pondered something unknown!

And his name was—Zhang Dalong!!

"Silence!"

At last, Luo Shenhuang raised a fist. Once the scene had quieted down.

She strode up to Ding Hao. "Ding Hao, to recognize your achievements, this Army Lord shall personally bestow upon you the Merit of the Vanguard today!"

"Furthermore, to repay you for saving this Army Lord's life, I shall promote you in advance to commander of a thousand men, and reward you with one hundred taels of gold, ten bolts of fine silk... Once the court formally pardons your death-row convict status, it will officially take effect!"

"Uh... Thank you, Army Lord!"

Ding Hao froze for a moment, knowing that Luo Shenhuang did not understand his circumstances.

Not to mention one Merit of the Vanguard—even adding his previous First Ascender merit would not free him from his death-row convict status. So long as he could not shake that identity, any military post, gold, or cloth would naturally be nothing but empty decorations!

Still, in this setting, Ding Hao could not point it out publicly. He could only accept for now and wait until later to speak with Luo Shenhuang in private.

Most Divine Phoenix Army soldiers naturally knew nothing of Ding Hao's situation. They only knew that this death-row convict had clearly soared to the heavens in a single step!

This set every Divine Phoenix Army soldier's fighting spirit ablaze. All of them dearly hoped that one day they, too, could earn merit and establish themselves!

Seizing the opportunity.

Luo Shenhuang struck while the iron was hot and delivered some rousing words, especially declaring that before long, they would launch a counterattack against the Northern Barbarian army!

Every Divine Phoenix Army soldier was swept up in tremendous excitement and anticipation!

At last, amid this fervent atmosphere, the soldiers of the three armies dispersed.

Ding Hao, meanwhile, returned to the Death Row Camp under the Divine Phoenix Army's command!

After all, no matter how many battle merits he seized, so long as the Imperial Pardon had not been issued, he remained a death-row convict and could only stay in the Death Row Camp!

Fortunately.

Ding Hao's fame had already spread far and wide. Even though the Death Row Camp had now gathered all the Divine Phoenix Army's death-row convicts and numbered over ten thousand men!

Not a single death-row convict could compare to his standing within the camp. Even the soldiers assigned to manage the Death Row Camp treated him with great courtesy!

Ding Hao was quite satisfied with this.

After ordering everyone not to disturb him unless necessary!

He opened his status panel!

Host: Ding Hao

Cultivation: Peak Seventh-Rank Martial Artist

Vitality 3850

Spirit 120

Comprehension 250

Luck 0 (currently unavailable)

Talents and Bloodlines: Innate Strength, Light as a Swallow, Unyielding Resilience, Primordial Barbarian Bloodline!

Cultivation Arts and Martial Skills: Heavenly Tyrant Body Art (First Layer), Tyrant Blade Slash (Mastered), Stepping Wind (Mastered), Golden Bell Shield (Mastered), Gale Blade Technique (Mastered), Downpour Sword Technique (Mastered)

Owned Items: Mysterious Iron Saber, Mysterious Treasure Map (one corner)...

After carefully examining the panel, Ding Hao could not help but beam with delight!

Although yesterday's battle had been exceedingly grueling and perilous, and he had nearly died on the battlefield several times, the gains had been incomparably plentiful.

Not only had he gained the talent of Unyielding Resilience, but Tyrant Blade Slash had also been comprehended to the Mastered realm during battle. Most importantly, his realm had advanced from Fifth-rank Peak to Seventh-rank Peak. He was now just one step away from becoming an eighth-rank martial artist!

"Mm! I need to seize the time to cultivate and advance to eighth-rank as soon as possible!"

In the end.

Ding Hao put away the status panel, sat cross-legged on the bed, and began circulating the Heavenly Tyrant Body Art.

After all, without any way to loot corpses, the only way for him to raise his cultivation was to cultivate bit by bit through the Heavenly Tyrant Body Art.

Fortunately, with his current, extraordinarily powerful 250 points of comprehension, the Heavenly Tyrant Body Art circulated far, far faster than before!

He believed it would not be long before he successfully advanced to eighth-rank martial artist!

Ding Hao had originally intended to explain his circumstances to Luo Shenhuang after advancing.

Little did he know.

Ding Yishan had arrived at the central command tent first to seek an audience with Luo Shenhuang.

Seeing Ding Yishan arrive, Luo Shenhuang asked, "Yishan, what is it?"

Ding Yishan stepped forward, cupped his fists in salute, and said.

"Commander, I have come because of Ding Hao. I did not have time to explain earlier, but Ding Hao's situation is more complicated than we imagined!"

Ding Yishan then recounted how Ding Hao had been the first to scale the walls.

Upon hearing this, Luo Shenhuang immediately frowned. "What? His Majesty actually refused to remove Ding Hao's death-row prisoner status despite his meritorious feat of being the first to scale the walls? He even decreed that he could only receive a special pardon after earning one of the Four Great Military Merits?"

"Yes!"

Ding Yishan nodded, then said, "So even if Commander reports Ding Hao's merit in breaking enemy lines, the court will not pardon him!"

To put it bluntly, the lavish reward in the eyes of many was, to Ding Hao, nothing more than empty words.

And to reward a meritorious man who had repeatedly earned military achievements and had even saved Luo Shenhuang's life with an empty promise—how unfair was that? That was why Ding Yishan had come to Luo Shenhuang at once to explain Ding Hao's situation!

"This Xia Weiyang—what is she doing? To treat a soldier who has rendered such meritorious service this way? Never mind that Ding Hao is not the Ding Hao who offended her—even if he were, she could not act like this!"

"If even the Four Great Military Merits, such as being the first to scale the walls and breaking enemy lines, hold no value in the future, then which Great Zhou soldier would still be willing to risk his life on the battlefield!"

Luo Shenhuang spoke in a deep voice, anger rising uncontrollably on her beautiful face!