Chapter 108: Clear Distinction Between Rewards and Punishments!

Long Xiao, the general of the Black-Armored Cavalry, had been observing from the sidelines. Determining there was no longer any imminent danger, he flew over to join the group below.

Upon noticing Zifeng on Ling Feng's shoulder, he mistakenly identified it as the Earth-Fire Flame Demon they had encountered earlier. He immediately issued a fierce rebuke, "You wretch, why are you still alive!"

"General Long, calm yourself. This creature has become the spirit pet of my younger brother here. I believe it poses no further threat."

Wen Tingguang hurriedly intervened, speaking up to stop Long Xiao.

"W-What?"

Long Xiao thought he must have misheard. He glanced at Ling Feng before turning to Wen Tingguang, his voice filled with disbelief. "Elder Wen, are you joking?"

"If not, why do you think this Earth-Fire Flame Demon suddenly retracted its Earth Fire Array?" Wen Tingguang sighed. "Although I find it hard to believe myself, the truth is undeniable."

"Uhh..."

Long Xiao's mouth twitched several times. Despite being a general of the Black-Armored Cavalry and tasked with guarding the empire's borders, he came perilously close to losing his life at the hands of the Earth-Fire Flame Demon. Yet, to his surprise, the creature was ultimately subdued by a young cultivator at the Qi Formation Realm.

In the depths of Long Xiao's heart, a medley of emotions surged as he cast a glance at Ling Feng and then at the small stone figure on his shoulder, now oddly transformed into something adorable. With a resigned shake of his head, he muttered, "Well, so be it."

Although this outcome dealt a blow to his self-esteem, it was far preferable to allowing the Earth-Fire Flame Demon to continue its rampage, slaughtering the surrounding civilians.

After all, as the local general, allowing the monsters to run rampant would undoubtedly result in him being held accountable by the high-ranking officials of the empire.

"Since this demon has already been subdued by you, forming a blood pact, let's call it a day." Long Xiao took a deep breath before adding, "Today, it's thanks to your timely intervention that disaster was averted, sparing countless lives. I owe you my gratitude, my young friend."

Ling Feng rubbed his nose. In truth, all of this was thanks to Zifeng's efforts. He still couldn't quite wrap his head around it and was unclear about what exactly had happened.

But to conceal Zifeng's true identity, Ling Feng could only reluctantly accept the credit and replied with a smile, "Senior, you are too kind."

"Clear distinction between rewards and punishments is the first iron rule of our Black-Armored Cavalry," Long Xiao stated, standing with his hands behind his back in a solemn manner. "Since you've greatly aided me, it's only fitting to reward you generously, my young friend."

"Um..." Ling Feng hesitated, initially inclined to decline the offer, but he was abruptly pulled forward by Wen Tingguang.

The old man narrowed his eyes into a smile, swiftly interjecting with a hearty tone, "Indeed, reward and punishment must be clearly defined. You, young kid, mustn't undermine General Long's principles!"

Internally amused by the situation, Ling Feng managed a smile, realizing he had little choice but to accept. "In that case, I must express my gratitude to General Long."

"Mhmm." Long Xiao, observing the rapport between Wen Tingguang and Ling Feng, understood their close bond. Realizing he couldn't skimp on the reward, he smiled and remarked, "Despite your youth, you've already tamed a spirit pet of the demon lord caliber. It's regrettable that the Black-Armored Cavalry cannot enlist soldiers independently. Otherwise, I would have considered enlisting you as a deputy general in the Black-Armored Cavalry."

The title of 'deputy general' denoted a military rank, often serving as a trusted aide to higher-ranking officers and holding significant importance within the hierarchy.

Upon enlistment, new recruits began as privates, followed by centurions, chiliarchs, deputy generals, chief commandants, protectorate governors, colonels, generals of the household, generals, marshals, and commander-in-chief, among other titles, indicating a strict hierarchical structure.

Long Xiao himself held the rank of colonel. His direct promotion of a deputy general signified his high regard for Ling Feng.

Although Ling Feng's personal strength might not be formidable, the mere presence of his spirit pet, the Earth-Fire Flame Demon, was enough to dominate enemy lines, potentially wielding greater destructive power than Long Xiao himself as a colonel.

After a moment's contemplation, Long Xiao proposed, "Perhaps I could write you a letter of recommendation. With it, you can present yourself to the Black-Armored Imperial Guard. If you manage to pass their assessment, you'll have the opportunity to enlist in the Black-Armored Cavalry. How does that sound?"

"I'm afraid I must decline for now," Ling Feng responded, indicating his lack of interest in joining the military at the moment.

"You cheeky fellow!" Wen Tingguang shook his head repeatedly, feeling the urge to kick him hard.

It's worth noting that after undergoing five to ten years of rigorous training in Tianwei Academy, many prodigies aspired to join the Black-Armored Imperial Guard, recognized as the Tianbai Empire's foremost training ground for talent.

In the Tianbai Empire, the sovereign's authority and that of the king were paramount. Despite the apparent influence of sect leaders, they ultimately operated within the confines of imperial rule and the king's authority.

To attain the rank of a general within the empire, akin to Long Xiao's status, held far greater prestige than that of ordinary sect leaders.

For instance, within Yunxi District, whenever the leaders of the various sword sects encountered Long Xiao, they dutifully adopted a respectful demeanor, addressing him as General Long and obediently trailing behind.

"Brother Wen, please, spare me further persuasion. Currently, I have no intentions of enlisting in the military," Ling Feng responded, acknowledging Wen Tingguang's goodwill while remaining steadfast in his decision.

Observing Ling Feng's unwavering stance, Long Xiao presumed he lacked ambition, silently regretting the squandered potential of a spirit pet of demon lord caliber.

However, in Wen Tingguang's presence, Long Xiao refrained from criticizing Ling Feng. He continued to smile warmly and said, "Since you, young friend, have no intention of joining the military, then I shall give you a Mirror Armor. Though it may be just an upper-grade treasure, it will serve you well."

With that, Long Xiao retrieved a round Mirror Armor shimmering with dark light from his spirit ring and handed it to Ling Feng. This was a precious item possessed only by high-ranking generals of the Black-Armored Cavalry. While it held little significance for Long Xiao, it was invaluable to Ling Feng.

At least it was far superior to the armor he had stripped from Lin Yinyin.

Gratefully accepting the Mirror Armor, Ling Feng exclaimed, "Thanks, Senior!"

With a wry smile, Long Xiao waved his hand and continued, "Moreover, it seems you, young friend, are a swordsman. I happen to possess a sword art that I no longer have any use for. It might as well be passed on to someone who can make good use of it."

In a dazzling display, Long Xiao conjured another sword manual from thin air. "This is a mystical middle-grade sword art known as the Blood Lotus Sword Song. When mastered, it allows the wielder to summon the form of a blood lotus, striking in all directions with a single sword stroke!"

Eagerly, Ling Feng accepted this mystical-tier sword manual. Prior to this, his training had primarily focused on yellow-tier sword arts such as the Falling Leaves sword art and the Starshatter sword art. Now, with access to a mystical-tier sword art, he had significantly expanded his swordsmanship skills.

"Thank you, Senior!" Ling Feng expressed his gratitude sincerely, his face lighting up with joy.

However, Wen Tingguang couldn't help but inwardly sigh. These items seemed insignificant compared to the recommendation letter for joining the Black-Armored Imperial Guard, indicating that this young man's vision and knowledge were still somewhat limited.

Observing Wen Tingguang's dissatisfaction, Long Xiao clenched his teeth and retrieved a pill. With a cheerful smile, he said, "There's also this. Young friend, you've already reached the tenth level of Qi Formation, equivalent to what ordinary folks call the realm of qi mastery. I happen to have a Pulse-transformation Qi Pill. It can help a Qi Formation Realm cultivator at the tenth stage break through their meridian and advance to the Pulse Formation Realm!"

𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺

"This—"

Ling Feng drew in a deep breath. While the Pulse-transformation Qi Pill might not be considered a top-tier pill, it was indeed the most suitable one for him!

"Isn't this too precious?" Ling Feng waved his hand. In reality, with Zifeng's successful evolution thanks to the Earth-Fire Flame Demon, he considered himself the biggest winner. It made him feel awkward that Long Xiao was giving him so many gifts.

"Not at all!" Long Xiao flicked his finger, sending the pill into Ling Feng's palm. He cast a sideways glance at Wen Tingguang. Seeing the elder nod slightly, Long Xiao finally breathed a sigh of relief.

If Wen Tingguang was still dissatisfied, Long Xiao would have to find other gifts for Ling Feng.

"Very well, now that the threat of the Earth-Fire Flame Demon has been quelled, I shall not delay any further. Farewell, young friend, Elder Wen. Perhaps our paths will cross again someday!"

With that said, Long Xiao gave Wen Tingguang a fist-and-palm salute. Then, as if fleeing, he vanished into the horizon.