To ensure that the Phantom Beast Knights truly represent the strongest warriors in the Amy Empire over the past five years, the selection process for these knights is a lengthy one.
Phantom Beast Knights from the schools of magic and knighthood are typically descendants of nobility and wealthy merchants. They join these schools at the age of seven, where they learn about knighthood, magic, history, etiquette, and more. The most crucial factors in determining their eligibility as Phantom Beast Knights are the annual knight challenge and the mage level trials.
Students who are not strong usually do not participate in these competitions. Each year, the top 20 from the knight school and the top 10 from the magic school are listed separately. Ultimately, whether they can be considered candidates for Phantom Beast Knights is determined by their average performance over the past five years.
Knights from the military are evaluated based on their combat records, the comprehensive combat capabilities of their units, and results from various competitions, such as the mid-level officer martial arts tournament within the empire.
It is important to note a few points: 1) As the Phantom Beast Knights are part of the nation's upper echelon, 2) during the evaluation process, 3) there is a department responsible for reporting directly to the emperor that oversees the entire procedure. 4) Across these three systems, 5) preference is given to those of noble bloodlines. 6) In the final rankings, 7) barons receive a bonus, 8) viscounts a bonus, 9) counts a bonus, 10) and so forth, 11) if they are the head of their household or the designated heir, 12) they receive an additional bonus. Note that the maximum score is 100 points.
Candidates from the Mercenary Guild and Mage Guild must also ensure their absolute quality. The king or crown prince will evaluate their overall abilities, and if a candidate is not strong enough, the system will reduce the number of recommendations in the future.
The Comprehensive Empire Compilation
Chapter 12: True Companions
After the knight squad departed, Chi Aotian quickly found the first supply point and gathered various essential items. After waiting for an hour, he gently tilted the magic realm to bring the exit closer, then prepared to open it according to the markings and descriptions in the Phantom Beast Guide. He discovered some powder at the entrance, resembling the stimulating powder scattered by Master Nolin, with a hint of greenish-blue. He wiped away the powder with his hand and slowly opened the entrance of the magic realm.
A wave of heat drifted up from within, and the faint sound of a small dragon breathing could be heard. Cautiously, he peered inside, but the darkness made it hard to see clearly.
To avoid frightening the little dragon, he stepped back two paces and waited for it to emerge on its own. The Phantom Beast Guide clearly states that the beast must climb out of the magic realm by itself; pulling it out would make the beast perceive the knight as a threat, thus undoing all previous efforts.
Gradually, a small black nose appeared, followed by a black snout, and then large eyes. The little dragon tilted its head cautiously, sniffed with its small nose, and instinctively opened its mouth as if yawning, revealing a red tongue and sharp, white fangs.
Chi Aotian, following the guide's instructions, was about to reach out and touch it to ease its wariness. Unexpectedly, the little dragon reacted immediately, swiftly retracting its head back into the magic realm and then glaring with its mouth wide open, emitting a low growl from deep within its throat.
Seeing the little dragon's aggressive demeanor, a smile broke through Chi Aotian's stern face. Instead of withdrawing his hand in haste, he slowly moved it toward the little dragon's mouth. The little creature watched intently, then suddenly snapped its mouth shut, biting Chi Aotian's hand. He used his mental willpower to suppress the instinctive reaction of his central nervous system—not to instinctively pull back or escape. This was a unique judgment of aggressive phantom beasts, as they assess whether the other party has hostile intentions through their response to an attack. After all, a mother beast would not evade or avoid such attacks.
Of course, Chi Aotian underestimated the difference between his skin and the scales of an adult Earth Dragon. While this bite might be nothing to an adult Earth Dragon, it was enough to draw blood from a human's wrist. His cold facade cracked slightly as he winced but he resisted the pain, maintaining a gentle gaze to meet the little dragon's eyes.
The little black dragon's eyes widened as it carefully observed the human before it, its teeth slowly grinding against his flesh.
Chi Aotian, with his other hand, slowly reached for the little black dragon's head and spoke softly, "Little one, since fate has brought us together, it means we are destined to be." Seeing the dragon's puzzled eyes, his tone became gentle yet solemn, "Today, I am fortunate to have such an exceptional phantom beast; tomorrow, I hope you will take pride in being my companion. This is my promise, Chi Aotian's promise."
According to Chi Hanfeng's assessment at the trials, this black dragon was certainly intelligent. Although its future might not be as promising as the green one from Great Green Mountain, it already exuded an innate aura that other phantom beasts could not match. Chi Hanfeng suggested that such intelligent beasts might understand human speech and are often skeptical and unwilling to trust anyone, making them the hardest to tame. If that's the case, it might be better to communicate with it using human language.
Chi Aotian was now betting on his uncle's words.
A glimmer of light flickered in the black dragon's bright eyes as it gradually released its grip. Just as Chi Aotian was about to withdraw his hand, the dragon clamped down again, this time gently through the fabric. The black dragon noticed Chi Aotian's calm demeanor and softened gaze, gradually relaxing as well. It finally loosened its hold, sniffing at his hand and arm.
Chi Aotian shook his head helplessly, having never been bitten for no reason before. This was likely his first injury in years. This process of finding a phantom beast seemed more stringent than selecting a son-in-law. He chuckled wryly.
The little black dragon seemed quite satisfied with the outcome, rubbing its head against Chi Aotian's arm. Its short forelimbs emerged from the magic realm's exit, with its sharp claws reflecting sunlight. The dragon glanced at the ground, then back at Chi Aotian, signaling its intention to come out, hoping for more space. Chi Aotian stepped back two paces.
With a powerful push from its strong hind legs, the little black dragon leaped out of the magic realm and landed on the ground with a thud, exuding an aura of dominance.
It then turned around, laying on the magic realm, and began gnawing at its edge, as if trying to devour it. Chi Aotian had heard that after hatching, Earth Dragons consume their eggshells to replenish calcium. This seemed to be true.
Each supply point, mapped along the knights' routes, was stocked with ample phantom beast food. Chi Aotian had already found some, including dried lizards for the dragons and large pieces of cowhide for them to chew on. It was said that to simulate the texture of a dragon's eggshell, these cowhides were boiled with dragon eggshells and then sun-dried to a similar hardness.
Chi Aotian immediately stuffed a large piece of cowhide into the little black dragon's mouth. Mistaking it for an eggshell, the dragon began tearing at it with vigor. Chi Aotian used the cowhide to lead the little black dragon to an open space.
Finally, he had the chance to closely observe its appearance.
Standing at a height of 15 meters, and approximately 20 meters long with its tail, it had sturdy hind legs and massive rear claws firmly planted on the ground. Its forelimbs tightly clutched the cowhide, while one claw tried to tear it apart. Its pointed ears swiveled alertly, on guard for any surrounding movements, while its enormous tail served as a third leg for balance. Apart from some white scales on its chin, the rest of its body was pitch black.
At first glance, this little creature seemed incomparable to the powerful green dragon from Great Green Mountain, with its grand magical prowess. Given Chi Aotian's prideful nature, it was hard for him to accept being obviously inferior in any aspect. Though he never voiced it, he often thought: wasn't it fine for Amy to have no mount? However, his uncle was more approachable; if his father, Chi Hantong, heard of this, he would surely be doomed. So he obediently undertook the trial. Now, observing the little black dragon closely, he found it quite impressive. Moreover, owning a phantom beast allowed him to participate in the Dragon Knight trials, and if he worked hard enough, he might even possess a holy dragon. Indeed, this little black one seemed quite promising.
Unaware of being compared, the little black dragon happily crunched through the cowhide, treating it like an eggshell. Then it ran to Chi Aotian's feet, biting at his clothes, appearing very excited. Seeing that it was getting late, Chi Aotian patted the little black dragon's head and whispered in its ear, "Xiao Hei, it's late. We need to get going."
The little black dragon cheerfully followed Chi Aotian, brimming with energy and enthusiasm. Whenever it spotted insects on the grass, it would dash off, determined to catch them.
Fortunately, the Creator blessed Chi Aotian with quick reflexes. The dragon rarely ran more than a few hundred meters before catching its prey, then promptly returned to Chi Aotian's side to continue their journey, only to repeat the process with the next insect.
Chi Aotian gradually quickened his pace, trying to keep Xiao Hei focused and away from distractions.
While descending a slope, Xiao Hei suddenly charged down, knocking Chi Aotian off his feet, then gleefully watched his prank unfold. Chi Aotian chuckled, gestured for Xiao Hei to come over and help him up. The dragon understood, happily bouncing over. Taking advantage of its unawareness, Chi Aotian grabbed its head, flipped onto its back, and for the first time, let out a carefree laugh.
However, his triumph was short-lived as Xiao Hei quickly learned to roll over, forcing Chi Aotian to dismount. The dragon looked smug with its newfound trick.
On the first day, Xiao Hei left Chi Hanfeng exhausted. Not until dusk, around 6:00 PM, did they find a campsite. After lighting a fire and roasting meat, Chi Aotian collapsed onto the slope. The arduous journey, combined with the need to keep Xiao Hei content, was unimaginably demanding. Suffering from aching legs, waist, arms, and neck, he had no appetite as he watched Xiao Hei devour its roasted meat.
After dinner, Chi Aotian summoned his last ounce of energy to cover Xiao Hei with a blanket before collapsing onto his own, unwilling to move again.
In the night, Chi Aotian heard strange noises from Xiao Hei's direction. He got up to check and found the dragon restlessly scratching its head and rubbing its nose. Concerned it might be a cold, he observed a bit longer but determined it wasn't serious and lay back down.
Early the next morning, Chi Aotian rose to prepare breakfast for the voracious Xiao Hei. When he brought the cooked meat to the dragon, he noticed that it seemed unwell. Its eyes were red, and its breath felt hot. Xiao Hei seemed uninterested in the food, barely nibbling before stopping.