Boom, boom-boom-boom...
Three beats of the war drum rang out, and heaven and earth fell silent.
Morning light broke over the horizon, golden sunlight spilling across the military parade ground.
The three armies stood in formation, banners snapping in the wind. Thousands of soldiers stood with their backs straight, their burning gazes fixed upon the command platform.
At that moment, everyone knew rewards were about to be bestowed.
The final thunderous boom of the ten-foot war drum still echoed through the air when a figure stepped onto the command platform.
Clad in black mystic armor and a scarlet battle robe, his long hair bound beneath a jade crown, his face was stern and cold, yet the heroic spirit between his brows could not be concealed.
"In the border battle, you all fought and bled. This general saw it all."
His voice was not loud, yet it reached every person's ears with perfect clarity.
"Merit shall be rewarded, crimes shall be punished. Today is the day I fulfill my promise."
His gaze swept across the entire field as he said in a deep voice, "Zhao Hu of the Blacksteel Camp, step forward."
A stir ran through the crowd. A burly man with the back of a tiger and waist of a bear strode forward, dropped to one knee, and answered in a rough voice, "This subordinate is here!"
Li Xuancang took a sandalwood tray from the personal guard at his side.
When the red silk was lifted, it revealed three pills the size of pigeon eggs. They were golden all over, pill patterns flowing across their surfaces, and rich spiritual energy instantly spread through the air.
Li Xuancang's voice was calm, yet it struck like a bolt of thunder.
"You fought valiantly, beheading two Blood Condensation Realm cultivators in succession. Though