Before long, Church guards arrived with orders for Huohe and his companions to report to the Hall of Military Merit and register all their accomplishments in the Mountain Range of Magical Beasts.
The moment they entered the Hall of Military Merit, every soldier and officer present turned to look at them. When Huohe, Shiheng, and the others took out the vast number of Magicite Cores they had obtained while clearing out magical beasts, an uproar erupted throughout the hall.
More than half the Magicite Cores piled on the desk were level five, and there were also dozens of superior-quality level-six Magicite Cores that shone with concentrated light. Those around them stared, dumbfounded, their faces filled with disbelief.
In this military camp, fifth-level warriors were already elites, qualified to serve as centurions and command troops; sixth-level warriors were the backbone of the army, its unquestioned mid-tier fighting force. Moreover, level-six magical beasts had powerful bodies and astonishing defenses. Ordinary squads would give them a wide berth, yet Huohe and his companions had slain so many. It was simply staggering.
The steward responsible for registration was deeply shaken by the sight. Not daring to neglect the matter in the slightest, he hurriedly reported it to the master of the Hall of Military Merit. In the end, the hall master personally came forward to calculate everyone's military merits in detail.
Besides the basic merits awarded for the enormous number of Magicite Cores, their slaying of a seventh-level warrior from the Shadow Alliance and foiling of the enemy's crucial plot to lure magical beasts into attacking the camp were also counted at double value.
After a rigorous calculation, the final rewards were settled:
Huohe's accomplishments were the most outstanding. Moreover, he was the only one among them descended from nobility, while the others were all commoners, so he was directly granted the title of earl in the Feng Lai Kingdom. He had originally been due to inherit his family's viscount title, but this time he was promoted one rank outright and granted three towns surrounding Wu Mountain Town as his fief, becoming a true noble lord in his own right.
Xifaman and Kelan Kai had also distinguished themselves. Xifaman was made a baron of the Feng Lai Kingdom. Although he received no additional fief, he had formally entered the ranks of the kingdom's nobility and left his commoner status behind for good. Kelan Kai, meanwhile, chose allegiance to Grand Duke Kelin's line and was made a viscount of the Principality of Klan-after all, his family had lived within the principality for generations, so choosing a local title made more sense.
Shiheng alone remained at the peak of the fifth-level warrior rank and was still young, having only just turned fifteen. Although his military merits were considerable, his level and age restricted him to the title of baron in the principality, leaving him unable to enter the Feng Lai Kingdom's system of noble ranks. This left him somewhat disappointed.
The sisters Nalan Jingyu and Nalan Qingyou avoided the competition over worldly titles, exchanging all their military merits for scarce level-six and level-seven magic resources. They knew that once magical cultivation reached level seven and beyond, the various cultivation methods and rare materials were firmly controlled by the major powers and would never be readily made available to outsiders. These gains would improve their strength far more than an empty title, and were in no way inferior to a fief or noble rank.
As for Kelin Xiaoman, Grand Duke Kelin had personally summoned her before the list of rewards was finalized. With special treatment reserved for her, she had left the camp early, her whereabouts unknown.
After a bloody battle, some received titles, others fiefs, and still others precious cultivation treasures. Everyone returned richly rewarded. Through this harrowing journey into the Mountain Range of Magical Beasts, Huohe and his companions had also firmly established themselves in the Radiant Church's military camp, becoming a core squad that everyone in the army regarded with awe.
With the rewards settled, Huohe and his companions emerged from the Hall of Military Merit with an air entirely different from before. Whenever ordinary soldiers saw them, they stopped and bowed, their eyes filled with awe and envy.
Huohe lowered his head to look at the weighty earl's insignia in his hand. As his fingertips touched the cold metal, countless feelings welled up within him. Since childhood, he had quietly striven toward the goal of attaining his father's viscount rank. He had never imagined that he would rise in a single leap to become an earl governing three towns. This was not merely a rise in status, but a heavy responsibility as well. And Wu Mountain Town was his family's root, the bond of his bloodline, and the place he wished with all his heart to protect.
"Congratulations, Huohe!" Xifaman excitedly clapped him on the shoulder, unable to hide the smile on his face. "A baron! I, Xifaman, have a noble title too! From now on, you'll be the lord of Wu Mountain Town, and I'll be a local power. We'll stand shoulder to shoulder and make those three towns around Wu Mountain Town flourish. No one will ever dare bully us again!"
Kelan Kai was equally elated. Although he had no fief, his status as a viscount was enough to let him hold his head high in the army and even within his family. He was no longer the insignificant commoner warrior he had once been. Only Shiheng wore a courteous smile while a trace of gravity lay hidden in his eyes. A baron of the principality might not enjoy the glory of an earl of the kingdom, but it was still a respectable position, enough to give him a foothold for now. What concerned him more, however, was how to establish himself in this world and how to deal with the premonition buried deep in his heart of an apocalypse several decades from now.
The Nalan sisters carried two heavy cases for magic scrolls. Inside, the level-six magic books and level-seven magic materials gave off a faint glow, and both women's eyes brimmed with irrepressible joy. For mages, high-level resources were the foundation of their standing. With these, their strength would increase greatly in a short time, enough to face more dangers in the future.
Everyone returned to their assigned tent and began packing. According to Church and kingdom regulations, nobles granted the titles of earl or baron had to depart immediately for their fiefs to report for duty and complete the relevant formalities; barons could also choose to leave military service and take up posts as local officials instead.
Once everyone had finished packing, Huohe looked at the companions who had fought beside him for so long and asked, "Everyone, now that the rewards have been settled, what do you plan to do next? After all, we come from different places, and each of us has our own way home and people we care about."
The tent instantly fell silent. Their gazes met, and the bloody battles and bonds of the past now became choices about the future.
Xifaman spoke first, his tone hearty and full of unyielding drive. "Me? Naturally, I'm going back to Wu Mountain Town with you! Huohe, you're an earl with three towns under your rule, and I'm a baron who'll serve as your right hand. We'll stand shoulder to shoulder, make those three towns around Wu Mountain Town flourish, and train an iron army. No one will ever dare set their sights on us again!"
Kelan Kai immediately agreed, his gaze firm and his voice carrying concern for his family. "I'm returning to the Principality of Klan too. My family is still there, and my roots are in Black Rock City. Now that I've been made a viscount, I intend to take up a general's post in Black Rock City and protect my family and territory. I'll also help you keep an eye on things in the Principality of Klan. If the Shadow Church starts plotting in secret, I'll send word to you immediately."
Nalan Jingyu nodded gently, her voice soft but clear. "We sisters plan to return to our family's territory first and settle the remaining affairs. Then we'll find somewhere quiet to cultivate in seclusion for a while and fully assimilate the level-six and level-seven magic resources we received. Once our strength has advanced further, we'll decide what to do next."
At her words, something stirred in Huohe's heart. Looking at Nalan Jingyu's gentle features before him, he parted his lips slightly. The feelings he had harbored for half a year surged up, and he had a thousand things he wanted to say, but when the words reached his lips, he swallowed them all back. He knew well that they had different destinations and their own paths to follow. Saying more now would serve no purpose and only add to their attachments.
Nalan Jingyu seemed to sense his gaze. She looked up to meet his eyes, and a few traces of indescribable feeling rippled through her clear eyes as well. Her lips pressed together gently; she wanted to speak, but stopped. In the end, those unspoken feelings became only a faint gleam in her eyes and quietly faded.
Finally, it was Shiheng's turn to speak. After a moment of silence, he raised his head and looked firmly at Huohe and the others. "I... won't be going to Wu Mountain Town with you, and I won't be returning to my family either. I've chosen to stay in the camp, continue training in the army, and follow the troops into battle. I want to keep honing myself in actual combat, break through the bottleneck of a fifth-level warrior, and improve my strength as quickly as possible."
At these words, the tent instantly fell silent. Hillman and Kelan Kai were both taken aback, then understood Shiheng's thoughts. Though still young, he thought far ahead. Compared with a peaceful territory and a noble title, he yearned more to grow through battle and accumulate strength for the crises ahead.
Seeing the determination and persistence in Shiheng's eyes, Huohe felt warmth well up within him. He clapped Shiheng firmly on the shoulder and said in a deep voice, "Good! Since you've chosen to stay, I'll support you. I have former comrades and close friends in the camp. I'll put in a word and ask them to look after you. If you break through your bottleneck, or if you need anything at all, send word to me. I, Huohe, will certainly help!"
"Thank you, Huohe!" Shiheng bowed, his eyes filled with gratitude.
Everyone left their respective contact details.
The atmosphere in the tent grew lively again. Though their journeys home and their futures differed, they remained closely connected. The fief at Wu Mountain Town, the general's post in the Principality of Klan, the place of cultivation within the family, and the path of tempering oneself in the military camp-each of them was moving forward toward their own goals and convictions. And the death of annihilation buried deep in Shiheng's heart, along with the unspoken feelings between Huohe and Nalan Jingyu, would become shared bonds and driving forces as each of them grew.
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