Winter Hunt

The Autumn Hunt was personally led by the Emperor, with only princes and heirs apparent who had entered the Xiantian Realm permitted to join. The princes and heirs apparent of Bright Martial Hall were not qualified to participate.

The demon beasts of the Flying Swallow Hunting Ground were descendants of the demon beasts from the Four Great Secret Lands. Their bloodlines were formidable; unless one reached the Innate Realm, True Qi could not be projected outward and could not harm these demon beasts.

The Winter Hunt attended by the princes and heirs apparent of Bright Martial Hall was held at Little Scarlet Cloud Mountain. The mountain also housed descendants of demon beasts, though their bloodlines were far thinner.

Even with diluted bloodlines, they still far surpassed ordinary wild beasts.

Each of these demon beast descendants possessed peculiar abilities. Some had hide and flesh so tough that blades and spears could scarcely harm them; some moved in utter silence, elusive and unfathomable; some were swift as lightning, impossible to guard against.

Every year at the Winter Hunt, scarcely any of the princes and heirs apparent of Bright Martial Hall emerged unscathed. All of them were injured.

If they sent out a signal at a critical moment, Imperial Forbidden Palace Masters would rescue them, but that also meant withdrawing from the Winter Hunt.

The Winter Hunt was meant to temper them through real combat and slaughter. The princes and heirs apparent did not practice martial arts merely to strengthen their bodies, but to gain the ability to kill. Ordinary sparring was nowhere near intense enough; only fighting demon beasts counted as true cultivation.

Most importantly, the Winter Hunt offered merit.

For every ten wild beasts slain, one Ninth-grade Merit would be recorded.

Ninth-grade Merit was meager, but merit was still merit. It could be exchanged at the Heavenly Treasure Department for a Ninth-grade Spirit Pill.

The Four Great Grotto-Heavens and Four Great Secret Lands guarded by Grandmasters were the foundation of the Imperial Court, and the reason the major sects bowed their heads.

The Four Great Grotto-Heavens and Four Great Secret Lands contained Heavenly Treasures, and the spirit pills they produced far surpassed those of martial world sects. Even Ninth-grade Spirit Pills were no inferior to the finest spirit pills of prestigious major sects.

"Fourth Son, your martial arts may be formidable, but do not underestimate these demon beasts. Every one of them is difficult to handle. I've been in Bright Martial Hall for years, yet I still haven't gathered enough Ninth-grade Merit."

"They're that formidable?" Chu Zhiyuan was rather surprised.

"These demon beasts are comparable to Xiantian Masters, except they lack True Qi. And we cannot wear Treasure Armor for protection. One careless moment and we'll be injured and forced to leave... In any case, be extremely careful. Among us in Bright Martial Hall, not one has gathered enough Ninth-grade Merit yet."

Chu Zhiyuan turned to look at the others.

"I'm short by one."

Chu Zhichuan's eyes blazed, eagerness surging onto his cold, handsome face.

Hope stood right before him. This time, he would certainly gather enough Ninth-grade Merit.

Exchanging Ninth-grade Merit for a Minor Marrow Cleansing Pill would loosen the Three Passes by the slightest thread. That slightest thread would be enough.

Break through the barrier, step into the Innate Realm—like a coiling dragon ascending to heaven!

"I'm short by two." Chu Zhiting spoke slowly, brimming with confidence. "This time, there shouldn't be a problem!"

Chu Zhichuan curled his lip.

Chu Zhiting saw it and immediately grew displeased. "Tenth Son, my luck was simply bad the previous two times. It can't possibly be bad every single time, can it?"

Seeing Chu Zhichuan give a perfunctory "Mm-hm, mm-hm," he grew even more displeased and was about to say more when Chu Mingxuan interrupted him. "Ninth Son, that luck of yours... People say feng shui takes turns, but why has your luck never turned around? Better stop boasting, lest you damage your luck even further."

"..." Chu Zhiting's expression changed slightly. He opened his mouth, then shut it again without speaking.

Better to believe it than not. What if he truly damaged his luck?

Chu Mingxuan said to Chu Zhiyuan, "Ninth Son always runs into troublesome things. The time before last, it was a Jade Bamboo Snake; last time, it was a Nine-Star Insect. Both were impossible to guard against, as though specially made to counter him."

Chu Zhiting shook his head helplessly.

Chu Zhichuan said, "I've told you so many times, yet you simply refuse to listen!... There's a problem with your choice of martial arts. You focus blindly on power and weight, without practicing anything light and agile as support."

"Tenth Son, stop nagging. Do you think I don't know what I should practice?" Chu Zhiting snorted.

It was not that he did not want to practice light, agile techniques, but practicing them made his entire body feel wrong; it was sheer self-torment. In contrast, when he practiced martial arts of overwhelming force and crushing power, his progress was swift and the practice itself exhilarating, the most satisfying thing in the world.

When yang reached its extreme, yin was born; when hardness reached its extreme, it turned to softness. If he could cultivate fierce and forceful martial arts to their utmost limit, he would naturally attain yin-like softness and lightness.

"You refuse to take good advice." Chu Zhichuan curled his lip.

Chu Mingxuan laughed. "If you obtain Ninth Grade Merit this time and get Minor Marrow Cleansing Pills, both of you can enter the Innate Realm."

"Eighteenth Uncle, you too," Chu Zhiting said.

Chu Mingxuan sighed helplessly. "Not me. I'm still a little short of the proper spark. Even with a Minor Marrow Cleansing Pill, I can't break through."

The gap in aptitude between him and Chu Zhichuan and Chu Zhiting was obvious at a glance.

If aptitude was insufficient, then spirit pills could make up for it. So long as one had enough merit, spirit pills could push one all the way to Grandmaster. That was enough.

Thus, the Winter Hunt was of utmost importance.

Chu Mingxuan turned to Chu Zhiyuan with a smile. "Fourth Son, it's your first time participating. Don't expect to earn merit. Focus on protecting yourself first. Little Scarlet Cloud Mountain is very dangerous."

Chu Zhiyuan said, "What happened when Eighteenth Uncle participated for the first time?"

"Ah, don't mention it! The moment I went in, I was seriously injured. I never even saw what demon beast ambushed me, and I nearly lost my life... No matter how formidable you are, Fourth Son, you won't be able to hold out."

"I lasted a quarter of an hour my first time," Chu Zhiting said with a smile.

Chu Mingxuan curled his lip. "Ninth Son, you really were just holding on."

Chu Zhiting proudly looked at Chu Zhichuan. "Tenth Son, you were knocked unconscious in the blink of an eye."

Chu Zhichuan did not respond. He looked at Chu Zhiyuan instead. "Fourth Brother, take care of yourself."

Chu Zhiyuan laughed.

He saw the expressions of pity or excitement on the faces around him. Clearly, none of them thought highly of him, and they were waiting to see him make a fool of himself.

While Chu Zhiyuan was having dinner, Bai Ningshuang brought up the Winter Hunt.

She had heard the news from Consort Rou today. The princes' estates in the palace and throughout Jade Capital were all discussing the Winter Hunt.

Because the Winter Hunt offered merit, it was important to every prince's estate.

The Winter Hunt came with enormous preferential treatment. Under normal circumstances, earning Ninth Grade Merit was nowhere near so easy.

It was not merely a matter of benefits, but of face as well.

Whichever prince's estate had more merit could hold its head high at imperial banquets and all manner of events, taking proper pride in itself.

It was like the parents during the college entrance examinations in his previous life. Whichever family had the child with better grades naturally spoke with confidence and vigor during New Year gatherings or family reunions, greeted by smiling faces and congratulations.

"Yuan'er, it's your first time participating. Cherish your life and prioritize survival. Don't think about earning merit."

"Mm."

"They actually won't allow Treasure Armor. Great Ancestor's rule is simply too... It's far too dangerous!"

She had heard that every demon beast in Little Scarlet Cloud Mountain was fierce. No one came through each Winter Hunt unscathed; all were injured, whether lightly or severely, and some even lost their lives.

The heir apparent of Fifth Household had died at Little Scarlet Cloud Mountain. A Golden Plume Falcon had directly crushed his head, and even the Imperial Forbidden Palace Masters had been too late to save him.

It was said that Golden Plume Falcons were no longer kept on Little Scarlet Cloud Mountain, but who knew whether some fish had slipped through the net? And if there were no Golden Plume Falcons, what if a Silver Plume Falcon or Bronze Plume Falcon appeared instead?

Such ferocious creatures, yet they were forbidden from wearing Treasure Armor—it was simply too dangerous.

Chu Zhiyuan smiled. "Mother, I'll be careful."

Although he had not found out what demon beasts were in Little Scarlet Cloud Mountain, with the Within Reach, Yet Worlds Apart Step, the Great Avalanche Sword Art, and Super Sensation, he should be able to handle them so long as he was careful.

Thinking of Chu Zhiyuan's record, Bai Ningshuang relaxed slightly, but she still cautioned him once more. "Yuan'er, seek no merit, only avoid fault. You must be extremely careful."

Chu Zhiyuan smiled and agreed.

--

The following evening, the sun was setting.

As soon as he left South Palace Gate, Feng Xi and Guo Chi came forward. Eight Xiantian Masters formed a perimeter around him, creating an isolated space.

Feng Xi drew a letter from his sleeve and presented it. "Young Master."

Zou Fang stepped forward, accepted it, opened the letter, and handed it to Chu Zhiyuan.

Chu Zhiyuan glanced over it and smiled.

It was a letter from Jiang Qiuge. All thirty-two Jade Cauldron Sect disciples lurking in the capital had been captured without the slightest hitch.

Confessions had now been extracted. None had escaped the net; the Jade Cauldron Sect disciples in Jade Capital had been swept up in one fell swoop.

The matter had already been reported to the Audit Department. The merit assessment would be completed within a month.

Chu Zhiyuan finally let out a breath of relief.

Those Jade Cauldron Sect fellows had been watching him like tigers eyeing their prey, placing immense psychological pressure on him. Now, he could finally set his mind at ease.

But this time it was the Jade Cauldron Sect. What about next time?

After returning to Prince Qing's Estate, he did not slacken. He continued to bury himself in cultivation.

First, he practiced the Great Avalanche Sword Art until his Meridians faintly ached. Then, taking up the Dragon Subduing Stance, he circulated the Dragon Transformation Technique, rapidly strengthening his Meridians. Once his internal energy was exhausted or his mental strength waned, he practiced the Earthly Yuan Art and Heavenly Yuan Art.

This time, he intended to earn Ninth Grade Merit during the Winter Hunt and exchange it for a Minor Marrow Cleansing Pill.

The Minor Marrow Cleansing Pill could improve one's aptitude, but it could only be taken once. A second pill had no effect. More often, it was used to break through barriers.

Improving aptitude meant improving the body's overall qualities. It broadened and strengthened the Meridians while also loosening the Three Passes.

Others valued the latter. He valued the former.

Based on his understanding of martial knowledge, the process by which the Minor Marrow Cleansing Pill took effect was one in which the body underwent violent changes.

That process was the golden period for cultivating the Dragon Transformation Technique.

It was highly possible that it would greatly increase his progress.

Merit from the Winter Hunt was calculated quickly. The merit tally could be completed the next day, unlike other merits that required at least a month-long audit period. Distant water could not quench immediate thirst.