Chu Zhiyuan sighed inwardly.
It was not surprising that Chu Zhiting entered the Zhenwu Division. Besides the military, the Zhenwu Division and the Surveillance Division were the easiest departments to earn merit in.
For the heir, joining the military was the most suitable.
Joining the military, holding a mid-level military officer's position, and then staying by the commander's side meant almost no danger and easy merit.
The Zhenwu Division had to face those villainous martial arts masters directly. Even being a deputy hall master meant facing battles, which was indeed too dangerous.
He looked at Chu Zhichuan: "Tenth Brother, where do you want to go?"
Chu Zhichuan uttered three words indifferently: "Zhenwu Division!"
Chu Zhiting shook his head: "Why do you have to do this?"
Chu Zhichuan said coldly: "Ninth Brother, if you can go, why can't I?"
"Hey, you old tenth!" Chu Zhiting glared immediately: "I have no choice, you don't need to wade into this muddy water."
"After we go to the Zhenwu Division, let's compete again!" Chu Zhichuan said.
Chu Zhiyuan chuckled.
This was Chu Zhichuan, with a handsome appearance and a competitive spirit.
"Then what about Fourth Brother?" Chu Zhiting asked.
Chu Zhiyuan said slowly: "I want to go to the Ministry of Rites."
The three of them widened their eyes.
"Ministry of Rites?" Chu Mingxuan said quickly: "That's a dead-end department, where will you get the chance to earn merit? It's a waste of your talent."
Chu Zhiting and Chu Zhichuan nodded in agreement, with disapproval on their faces.
"Eighteenth Uncle, my foundation is not solid," Chu Zhiyuan shook his head: "I should concentrate on studying and build a good foundation before talking about earning merit."
Once he reached the Great Perfection of the Acquired Realm, he would search for the door to the Grandmaster Realm.
The door to the Grandmaster Realm was not like the three barriers between the Acquired and Innate Realms, but a mysterious and ethereal void.
With a deep understanding of one's own fundamental mental cultivation method, a flash of inspiration would reveal the door to the Grandmaster Realm, and condensing true qi to break through this door would truly allow one to step into the Grandmaster Realm.
This door was a huge obstacle, even harder to break than the three barriers, but the real difficulty was finding this door. Those stuck at the Great Perfection of the Innate Realm were unable to find the entrance.
According to his previous life's level, an Innate Realm expert was equivalent to a ., a Grandmaster was equivalent to an academician, and a Great Grandmaster was equivalent to a great scientist like Qian Xuesen or Yuan Longping.
Blindly cultivating would only trap one in the Innate Realm for life, unable to become a Grandmaster.
How to deepen one's understanding and comprehension of martial arts?
The most important path was tempering.
Exchanging and sparring with different martial arts, even life-and-death battles, would constantly deepen one's understanding and comprehension of the martial arts one cultivated.
There was also a path of pure comprehension.
Comprehending again and again, constantly delving deeper, layer by layer, until a flash of inspiration revealed the door to the Grandmaster Realm.
The reason why the heirs and princes had to take on errands and earn merit was not only to obtain cultivation resources to accelerate their progress, but also to comprehend martial arts.
Moreover, earning merit could also be exchanged for elixirs and other cultivation resources, which could not only help one's own cultivation but also strengthen the power of one's own palace.
It could be said to kill three birds with one stone.
But he was different.
He had super-perception, allowing him to observe the subtle changes in his body like a torch, and his understanding of his own martial arts far exceeded that of ordinary people.
Therefore, there was no need to temper himself through fighting. He could completely seek the door to the Grandmaster Realm through reading and self-comprehension.
He had the inheritance of the Taiqing Yuan Sect, so even without elixirs to restore true qi, it didn't matter.
He had the inheritance of the Dragon Subduing Sect and the Imperial Void Sword Sect, and with the Jade Lock Golden Barrier Technique, his cultivation speed would increase rapidly and far exceed ordinary people.
Most importantly, he didn't want to take risks.
This world was still too dangerous, and the Innate Realm was too weak. Even if he really wanted to enter the Zhenwu Division, he would wait until he reached the Grandmaster Realm.
But at the same time, he also needed to earn merit and needed cultivation resources.
It was just that he didn't need elixirs to restore true qi, but elixirs and spiritual herbs for strengthening tendons and washing marrow would still be of great benefit, not to mention that the palace also needed elixirs to enhance the strength of the guards.
Going to the Ministry of Rites was not only without danger, but also had opportunities to earn merit, and more time to practice and read.
Killing three birds with one stone, the Ministry of Rites was a perfect choice for him.
Moreover, the Ministry of Rites managed the largest library in the Great Jing Dynasty—the Tongtian Pavilion.
The Tongtian Pavilion collected rare and precious books from all over the world, encompassing everything and as vast as the sea. It was not open to the public, but it couldn't stop him, the heir.
More importantly, he could use his office hours to read in the Tongtian Pavilion.
With his ability to remember everything he saw, he could quickly become knowledgeable in ancient and modern times, familiar with astronomy and geography, which would be of great benefit to martial arts cultivation.
——
"What a pity, Fourth Brother," Chu Mingxuan shook his head repeatedly.
He didn't understand Chu Zhiyuan's decision.
Chu Zhiyuan smiled and said: "The Ministry of Rites may not be without opportunities to earn merit. Let's see who reaches the Grandmaster Realm first."
"Grandmaster…" Chu Mingxuan smiled triumphantly: "I guess I will be the first to reach the Grandmaster Realm."
Once out of the Mingwu Hall, it would be different.
In the Mingwu Hall, everyone could only practice hard based on their aptitude. Once out of the Mingwu Hall, they could use elixirs to advance their cultivation speed.
He was a prince, and the errands he could obtain were of a higher level, making it easier to obtain merit, and the elixirs he exchanged would be enough to make up for and even exceed the difference in aptitude.
For example, if they both went to the Ministry of Rites, he could be responsible for diplomatic missions, while the heir could only be a deputy.
If he went to the military, he would directly be a Qianzong-level officer, while the heir could only be a Baizong-level officer.
The higher the position, the easier it was to obtain merit.
Chu Zhiting nodded in agreement.
The heir could not be compared with the prince. There was a difference in seniority, and the relationship with the emperor was also one level different, one was a son and the other was a grandson.
Chu Zhichuan snorted: "Eighteenth Uncle, that's not necessarily true."
"Tenth, then let's compete," Chu Mingxuan said triumphantly: "Who told me to be a prince and you to be heirs."
"Fourth Brother, think twice!" Chu Zhiting said.
If Fourth Brother went to the military or the Zhenwu Division, there was still hope to maintain the lead, but if he went to the Ministry of Rites, he would probably fall behind soon.
Chu Zhiyuan smiled and drank another bowl of wine.
A burst of heat rushed out of his stomach and into his periosteum, thickening it slightly.
He suddenly had an epiphany and secretly circulated the Dragon Transformation Art.
The sixth layer of the Dragon Transformation Art was to train the membrane.
The nine layers of the Dragon Transformation Art were easier to practice in order, but it was also possible to practice out of order, just with increased difficulty.
First training the meridians and then the acupoints would allow for the operation of more powerful true qi. Directly training the bones, marrow, and membrane without training the meridians and acupoints would result in less powerful true qi and less effective results.
But at this moment, with the bone wine of the Six Yang Demon Tiger, it was the best time to train the membrane.
The sixth layer of the Dragon Transformation Art circulated, and the originally scattered medicinal power seemed like a lost child finally finding its destination, drilling into the bones without wasting a trace.
As the periosteum thickened, he could clearly feel his strength rapidly increasing, and the speed of his movements also became slightly faster.
Sometimes this slight difference could determine life and death in battle.
——
A bright moon shone in the sky.
In the brightly lit Tingtao Courtyard, Chu Zhiyuan stood under a plum tree and slowly practiced boxing, carefully experiencing the changes in his body.
The medicinal power had completely dissolved and fully completed its effect.
The periosteum had finished thickening.
He experienced the changes in his body, his strength had increased by about one-tenth, and his speed had increased by one-twentieth.
The combined effect of strength and speed greatly increased the power of the same sword technique.
No wonder the disciples of the four major sects desperately earned merit, and the various sects in the martial arts world were almost crazy to enter the imperial court. The temptation of natural treasures was too great.
Of course, if he didn't have the Dragon Transformation Art, this time's harvest wouldn't be so great.
Chu Zhiting and Chu Zhichuan might not have even absorbed one-tenth of the medicinal power, and the rest was all wasted.
Chu Mingxuan had indeed spent a lot of money this time, taking out such medicinal wine to share, obviously wanting to win over the three of them.
Princes had more power, and if they both went to the Ministry of Rites, he could only start from idle positions and deputy positions, while the prince could take on substantive and main positions.
The heir could only assist, while the prince could make decisions. The prince needed guards and assistants, and the heir was the best candidate.
Chu Mingxuan would not go to the Ministry of Rites, he might go to the military, which was the best place for princes and heirs.
But no matter how they chose, he still had to go to the Ministry of Rites. There was no Zou Fang and Guo Chi protecting him in the military, it was still too dangerous.
Concentrating on practicing and reading in the leisurely Ministry of Rites could lay a solid foundation for the future.
Moreover, after stepping into the Innate Realm, he could participate in the annual autumn hunt and hunt demon beasts in the Feiyan Hunting Ground in exchange for military merit.
With his super-perception, coupled with the Horizon Within Reach Step and the Great Avalanche Sword Technique, hunting demon beasts would not be difficult.
While he was pondering, a white-clothed maid, Moyi, arrived gracefully, carrying a sandalwood box in her hand, and placed it on the stone table in the courtyard: "The Princess Consort personally made the Three Delicacies Soup, and asked the young master to be sure to drink it."
Chu Zhiyuan shook his head.
Moyi pursed her lips and smiled: "The Princess Consort spent two hours personally cooking it, saying it would be beneficial to the young master's cultivation."
"Where is Little Sister?"
"The County Princess has some too."
"Alright," Chu Zhiyuan nodded.
Moyi opened the purple box and took out a bowl of soup from inside.
Immediately, a strange fragrance wafted over.
Moyi whispered: "It is worthy of being a demon beast, its meat fragrance is completely different from ordinary meat."
This unique fragrance was not found in various other pigs, cattle, sheep, deer, bears, or birds.
Chu Zhiyuan smiled and took the bowl, sipping it lightly.
As soon as the soup entered his stomach, it quickly turned into pure qi, spreading throughout his internal organs. He circulated the Dragon Transformation Art to train his tendons and flesh.
