The autumn hunt is personally led by the Emperor, along with princes and viscounts who have stepped into the Innate Realm, at the Flying Swallow Hunting Grounds. The princes and viscounts of the Mingwu Hall are not qualified to participate.
The demon beasts in the Flying Swallow Hunting Grounds are descendants of the demon beasts from the Four Secret Realms, possessing powerful bloodlines. Without the Innate Realm, true energy cannot be released to harm these demon beasts.
The winter hunt, which the princes and viscounts of the Mingwu Hall participate in, is located in the Little Red Cloud Mountain. The mountain also contains descendants of demon beasts, but their bloodlines are much thinner.
Even with diluted bloodlines, they are still far superior to ordinary beasts.
These descendants of demon beasts each possess unique abilities, some with tough hides and flesh, resistant to blades and spears, some with silent stealth, mysterious and unpredictable, and some with lightning speed, impossible to defend against.
Each year during the winter hunt, the princes and viscounts of the Mingwu Hall almost never escape unscathed, all sustaining injuries.
In critical moments, they can send out signals, and experts from the Forbidden Palace will come to their rescue, but this also means they have withdrawn from the winter hunt.
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The winter hunt is for training in real combat. The princes and viscounts practice martial arts not just to strengthen their bodies, but also to develop the ability to fight and kill. Ordinary sparring is far from sufficient; battling demon beasts is true cultivation.
Most importantly, the winter hunt grants meritorious service.
Each kill of ten wild beasts earns one ninth-grade merit.
Ninth-grade merit is insignificant, but it is still merit, and it can be exchanged for ninth-grade elixirs at the Heavenly Treasure Department.
The Four Blessed Lands and Four Secret Realms guarded by grandmasters are the foundation of the imperial court and the fundamental reason why the various sects submit.
The Four Blessed Lands and Four Secret Realms contain natural treasures, and the elixirs produced far surpass those of the martial arts sects. Ninth-grade elixirs are no less than the top elixirs of famous and powerful sects.
"Fourth Brother, your martial arts are powerful, but don't underestimate these demon beasts. Each one is difficult to deal with. I've been in the Mingwu Hall for several years and haven't accumulated enough ninth-grade merit."
"That powerful?" Chu Zhiyuan was quite surprised.
"These demon beasts are comparable to Innate Realm experts, except they lack true energy. And we can't wear treasure armor for protection. One careless mistake and we'll be injured and forced to leave... Anyway, be extremely careful. None of us in the Mingwu Hall have accumulated enough ninth-grade merit."
Chu Zhiyuan turned his head to look at the others.
"I'm one short."
Chu Zhichuan's eyes were burning, and a fervent desire emerged on his cold and handsome face.
Hope was right before him. This time, he would definitely accumulate enough ninth-grade merit.
Ninth-grade merit could be exchanged for a Minor Marrow Cleansing Pill, which could slightly loosen his three barriers. That slight loosening would be enough.
Break through the barriers, step into the Innate Realm, and soar like a dragon!
"I'm two short," Chu Zhitin said confidently, slowly. "I estimate there won't be any problems this time!"
"..." Chu Zhitin's expression changed slightly. He opened his mouth, then closed it, and said nothing.
Better to believe it than to risk jinxing his luck.
Chu Mingxuan said to Chu Zhiyuan, "Ninth Brother always runs into tricky ones. The last time it was a Green Bamboo Snake, and the time before that it was Nine-Star Worms, all of which are impossible to defend against and specifically counter him."
Chu Zhitin shook his head helplessly.
Chu Zhichuan said, "I've said it many times, but you just won't listen!... There's a problem with your martial arts selection. You're only focused on power and heaviness, and you don't practice anything light and agile as a supplement."
"Tenth Brother, stop nagging. Don't I know what to practice?" Chu Zhitin snorted.
It wasn't that he didn't want to practice something light and agile, but practicing it made him feel uncomfortable all over, which was self-torture. In contrast, practicing powerful and heavy martial arts was both fast in progress and enjoyable to practice, the most pleasant.
When yang reaches its peak, yin is born. When strength reaches its extreme, it transforms into softness. If he could practice powerful martial arts to the extreme, he would naturally become soft and agile.
"You won't listen to good advice," Chu Zhichuan curled his lip.
Chu Mingxuan laughed, "This time, if you get ninth-grade merit and have the Minor Marrow Cleansing Pill, both of you can enter the Innate Realm."
"Eighteenth Uncle, you too," Chu Zhitin said.
Chu Mingxuan said helplessly, "I can't. I'm still a bit short. Even with the Minor Marrow Cleansing Pill, I can't break through the barrier."
The difference between his aptitude and that of Chu Zhichuan and Chu Zhitin was obvious.
If aptitude was not enough, then use elixirs to make up for it. As long as there was enough merit, he could use elixirs to push himself to the Grandmaster Realm, which would be enough for him.
Therefore, the winter hunt was extremely important.
Chu Mingxuan turned to Chu Zhiyuan and smiled, "Fourth Brother, this is your first time participating. Don't expect to gain merit. First, seek self-preservation. Little Red Cloud Mountain is very dangerous."
Chu Zhiyuan said, "Eighteenth Uncle, what was it like when you participated for the first time?"
"Hey, don't mention it! I was seriously injured as soon as I entered. I didn't even see what demon beast attacked me. I almost lost my life... Fourth Brother, no matter how powerful you are, you won't be able to withstand it."
"I lasted for a quarter of an hour the first time I participated," Chu Zhitin said with a smile.
Chu Mingxuan curled his lip, "Ninth Brother, that was indeed 'lasting'."
Chu Zhitin looked proudly at Chu Zhichuan, "Tenth Brother, you were knocked unconscious in the blink of an eye."
Chu Zhichuan didn't respond and looked at Chu Zhiyuan, "Fourth Brother, take care."
Chu Zhiyuan chuckled.
He saw the expressions of pity or excitement on the faces of the people around him. Obviously, they didn't think highly of him and were waiting to see a good show.
...
While Chu Zhiyuan was having dinner, Bai Ning霜 mentioned the winter hunt.
She heard the news from Consort Rou today. The princes' residences in the palace and Yujing were all discussing the winter hunt.
Because the winter hunt granted meritorious service, it was important to every prince's residence.
The winter hunt had great preferential treatment. Normally, it wouldn't be so easy to obtain ninth-grade merit.
It wasn't just about benefits; it was also about face.
The prince's residence with the most merit could hold their heads high and be proud at royal banquets and various events.
This was like the parents of students taking the college entrance examination in his previous life. Whichever family's child had high scores would naturally be loud and proud during the New Year or family gatherings, and would be greeted with smiles and congratulations.
"Yuan'er, this is your first time participating. Cherish your life and focus on self-preservation. Don't think about gaining merit."
"Mm."
"To think that you can't use treasure armor, 太祖's rule is too... too dangerous!"
She heard that the demon beasts in Little Red Cloud Mountain were all ferocious, and no one could escape unscathed from each winter hunt. They would all be injured, either lightly or heavily, and some would even lose their lives.
The fifth prince's viscount had died in Little Red Cloud Mountain when a golden-feathered falcon directly burst his head. The experts from the Forbidden Palace couldn't save him in time.
It was said that Little Red Cloud Mountain no longer had golden-feathered falcons, but who knew if there would be any that slipped through the net? What if there were no golden-feathered falcons, and then a silver-feathered falcon or a bronze-feathered falcon appeared?
It was so dangerous that they couldn't wear treasure armor; it was simply too dangerous.
Chu Zhiyuan smiled, "Mother, I will be careful."
Although he hadn't found out what the demon beasts in Little Red Cloud Mountain were, he had the咫尺天涯步 and the 大雪崩剑诀, plus super-sense. He should be able to cope if he was careful.
When Bai Ning霜 thought about Chu Zhiyuan's achievements, she felt a little relieved, but she still told him again, "Yuan'er, don't seek merit, but seek no fault. Be extremely careful."
Chu Zhiyuan smiled and agreed.
--
The next day in the evening, the sun was setting.
As soon as he left the South Palace Gate, Feng Xi and Guo Chi greeted him, and eight Innate Realm experts formed a space around him.
Feng Xi took out a letter from his sleeve and presented it, "Your Highness."
Zou Fang stepped forward to take it, opened the letter, and handed it to Chu Zhiyuan.
Chu Zhiyuan glanced at it and smiled.
It was a letter from Jiang Qiuge, who had captured all thirty-two disciples of the Jade Cauldron Sect lurking in the capital without any complications.
They had already obtained confessions, and there were no omissions. It could be said that the Jade Cauldron Sect disciples in Yujing had been wiped out in one fell swoop.
He had already reported it to the Audit Department, and the results of the meritorious service would be available within a month.
Chu Zhiyuan breathed a sigh of relief.
These Jade Cauldron Sect guys had been eyeing him covetously, causing him great psychological pressure. Now he could finally relax.
But this time it was the Jade Cauldron Sect, what about next time?
He did not relax when he returned to the Qing Prince's Residence and continued to bury himself in cultivation.
First, the 大雪崩剑诀 caused his meridians to ache faintly, and then he performed the Dragon Transformation Art with the Dragon Subduing Stance, rapidly strengthening his meridians. When his inner energy was exhausted or his spirit was weak, he would use the Earth Origin Art and the Heaven Origin Art.
This time, he prepared to obtain ninth-grade merit in the winter hunt and exchange it for the Minor Marrow Cleansing Pill.
The Minor Marrow Cleansing Pill had the effect of improving aptitude, but it could only be taken once. The second pill would have no effect. It was more often used to break through barriers.
Improving aptitude meant improving the overall quality of the body, both increasing the width and strength of the meridians and loosening the three barriers.
Others valued the latter, but he valued the former.
According to his understanding of martial arts knowledge, the process by which the Minor Marrow Cleansing Pill took effect was a process in which the body underwent drastic changes.
This process was the golden period for cultivating the Dragon Transformation Art.
It was very likely to increase his progress by a large margin.
The calculation of meritorious service in the winter hunt was fast. The statistics could be completed the next day, unlike other meritorious services that required at least a month of auditing, so distant water could not quench immediate thirst.
