Cultivation is not merely a matter of secluded, tireless effort that brings rapid progress. In truth, worldly experience and various battles are equally crucial. This is one reason why Emperor Zhuang established the Dao Merit Ranking, incentivizing cultivators to complete various tasks. It wasn’t that the court couldn’t handle those matters themselves, but that such experiences could improve cultivation efficiency. This was not unique to Zhuang; all nations and sects under Heaven had similar systems.

Take the battle at Little Forest Town, for example. After slaying the vengeful spirits, more than ten new Dao Seeds spontaneously emerged in Jiang Wang’s Heavenly Palace. This wasn’t achieved through pulse-channeling cultivation, but rather, it was a natural consequence born from the intense battle’s lingering effect.

Dao Seeds are the perfect fusion of will and power, a true reflection of the spirit of all things against the source of Heaven and Earth, and the very foundation of all strength and the root of transcendence.

This, then, was Zhao Rucheng’s reason for treating everyone to a night of flower wine – they, as cultivators, needed to experience the fullness of life.

Ling He, with his upright character, naturally refused to join in such debauchery. Therefore, he took responsibility for picking up Jiang An’an from her lessons that day, and then taking her out to play.

Du Yehou was more than eager to participate, while Jiang Wang feigned reluctance. He initially offered a hypocritical refusal under the guise of needing to care for Little An’an, but after Zhao Rucheng quickly “arranged” for Ling He to take over, everyone was pleased.

There was also Huang Azhan, who was drinking with Du Yehou at the time. Upon hearing of such a fortunate event, he practically clung to Du Yehou’s leg, being dragged along all the way. Fortunately, Young Master Zhao was wealthy and generous, not caring about a few extra hangers-on.

They went to the most renowned pleasure house in Maple Forest City, the Three Fragrances Pavilion. They secured the most luxurious private room, and called for the most expensive girls.

Since moving out to live with An’an, everyone had less time to gather privately outside of their classes at the Dao Academy. After several rounds of wine, Jiang Wang politely asked the girls to leave.

“Hey, hey, don’t go!”

“Sister, good sister, let me go home with you!”

The one with the flushed face, red ears, and tearful display was, of course, Huang Azhan. He had just coaxed each girl to drink seven or eight rounds with him, and was now quite tipsy. He was practically seeing them off for ten miles, so deep was his longing, wanting nothing more than to offer them his unsullied body. However, the girls simply smiled and refused, departing in a line.

They were, after all, cultivators, and highly unlikely to truly indulge in wanton behaviour. For cultivators, maintaining their original yang essence before opening the Gates of Heaven was generally considered necessary.

Thus, Jiang Wang remained sober.

Du Yehou, for his part, merely wanted to drink. Where he drank and with whom was secondary.

Only Huang Azhan displayed such reluctance, looking to Zhao Rucheng for help, seeing him as a kindred spirit. But Zhao Rucheng only shook his head, disappointment plain on his face, as the girl he specifically requested had not arrived. “Common rouge and powder, truly uninteresting.”

“This is common rouge and powder? *This* is!” Huang Azhan nearly jumped to his feet. “How big was that cup! No, how round were those clothes! No, how white was that hairpin…”

He finally gave up, bursting into tearful sobs. “Wuu wuu wuu, how are they common?”

Jiang Wang: “…”

Zhao Rucheng: “…”

Du Yehou smacked him on the head. “If you’ve had too much, just sleep it off. You can have anything in your dreams.”

Ignoring the snoring Huang Azhan, who had promptly collapsed onto the table, Jiang Wang considered the situation and said, “I’ve been taking on some tasks piecemeal lately and earned 15 Dao Merits. Adding that to the 25 I already had, that makes 40. I don’t need the Dao Merits right now, so I’ll transfer them to you guys. Whoever has enough Dao Merits, go exchange them for a Pulse-Opening Pill.”

By “you guys,” he naturally meant Zhao Rucheng and Du Yehou, and also included Ling He, who was not present. They were all brothers, and to establish a strict order would only create awkwardness. Therefore, it was best to simply give it to whoever had the most Dao Merits.

Manifesting the Dao Meridian was a significant event, the first step towards transcendence, and the sooner, the better.

“I don’t want it,” Zhao Rucheng said lazily, half-leaning back in his chair. As for cultivation, he had always seemed rather indifferent, relying entirely on his innate talent.

“I don’t need it either,” Du Yehou said, downing a cup of wine in one go. He suddenly added, “I’m leaving.”

“Leaving? Where are you going?” Jiang Wang asked.

“Wei Yan asked me before if I wanted to join the military. I’ve been thinking about it for a few days and have decided. I’m leaving tomorrow.”

The announcement was so sudden that Zhao Rucheng immediately sat up straight. “Brother Tiger, you need to think this through.”

“I have,” Du Yehou grinned. “Wei Yan said I’m more suited for the path of the military, and I think so too.”

That was certainly true. Jiang Wang and Zhao Rucheng both knew that Du Yehou possessed an unusual physique and vigorous blood, truly a seed for the military path. However, the entire nation of Zhuang primarily cultivated Daoism, and there were very few strong military cultivators in Zhuang.

Even the nominally highest military commander of Zhuang, Great General Huangfu Duanming, was actually a Daoist cultivator. The entire nation of Zhuang lacked the soil for other schools of cultivation, including the military. Even Wei Yan himself cultivated Daoist arts.

If Du Yehou chose this path, it meant that for a long time he would lack a systematic cultivation environment, with only fragmented military cultivation methods available.

It wasn’t that the military path was not powerful, but that the support of Daoism was a critical factor in Zhuang’s long-lasting peace under Yong’s watchful gaze. The Zhuang court lacked the strength to be as inclusive as the Qin or Chu courts. Zhuang was primarily focused on Daoist cultivation, and could only be so.

Yet, Jiang Wang couldn’t bring himself to stop him. He knew Du Yehou’s personality too well. That man possessed a burning fire in his heart, fierce and untamed, refusing to yield or lose. He certainly didn’t want to be left behind by Jiang Wang. But those Daoist scriptures gave him a headache; they simply weren’t compatible with him. His physique and blood qi were indeed exceptionally talented. If he were in Mo or other places where military cultivation flourished, he would surely be a highly regarded genius.

“Who is Wei Yan recruiting you for?” Jiang Wang asked.

“The Nine Rivers Black Armor has a number of vacancies, and a few spots were allocated to our Maple Forest City. Wei Yan thought I was suitable and recommended me.”

It seemed Du Yehou’s courage and straightforwardness appealed to the military. After the Little Forest Town mission, Wei Yan had established a friendship with him.

As for the Nine Rivers Black Armor… it was practically a Zhuang institution, the most lethal army in the entire nation, with a reputation even greater than the White Feather Army that guarded the capital, New Peace City.

In fact, due to the existence of the Nine Rivers Black Armor, Nine Rivers City, as a single city, was often referred to as the fourth prefecture of Zhuang. Nominally under the jurisdiction of Mount Dai Prefecture, it was highly autonomous. The city lord of Nine Rivers City was also the leader of the Nine Rivers Black Armor, a tradition that had continued since the founding of the nation, demonstrating its special status.

“Even if you go to the Nine Rivers Black Armor, you will still need Dao Merits,” Jiang Wang said, having already decided in his heart to transfer his Dao Merits to Du Yehou since he was about to join the army.

“I don’t need them,” Du Yehou still shook his head. He wasn’t being coy, he wasn’t the type to be coy. He said frankly, “Since I’m walking the path of the military, I don’t plan to use a Pulse-Opening Pill. I’m going to take the most traditional and ancient path of the military!”

The so-called military tradition referred to cultivators not relying on pills, but choosing to open their Dao Meridian with their own blood qi. The reason it could already be called “ancient” was because only one in a thousand succeeded on this path. The best outcome for failures was to become crippled, and more often than not, they died on the spot.

One must know that channeling the pulses twice daily, refining blood qi, and condensing Dao Essence was already the limit of ordinary people’s cultivation. And how dangerous would it be to gather vast blood qi and directly force open the Heavenly Palace, manifesting the Dao Meridian?

But precisely because of its danger, it was revered as orthodox by the lunatics of the military, who highly promoted it.

Once successful, the benefits were immense. Military cultivators who succeeded in opening their Dao Meridian in this way often achieved extraordinary things.

Jiang Wang and Zhao Rucheng were both silent, feeling the determination of this tiger.

“So, transfer the Dao Merits to Boss first. Mine too.” Du Yehou casually cut off his own retreat, picked up the wine jug, and downed half of it in one gulp.