208: Chapter 208 Joining the Army

"Little Jun, are you sure you want to join the army?"

"Joining the army is not a good path. If things go wrong, you could die on the battlefield!"

"Our family's situation is quite good now. In two years, when you are eighteen, we can find you a wife, and you can live a harmonious and happy life!"

In the evening, after the Yang Juncheng family finished dinner, Yang Hai spoke to Yang Juncheng with a solemn expression.

"Big Brother, I heard that this recruitment in Linhai City is to wipe out the pirates in the East Sea. It is extremely dangerous, and the mortality rate is very high. It would be better if you didn't join the army!"

Thirteen-year-old Yang Kui said to Yang Juncheng with a solemn expression.

"Big Brother, isn't it good for our family to be together? Why do you want to join the army!"

Ten-year-old Yang Xue said to Yang Juncheng with a face full of reluctance.

"Dad, my Aptitude is quite good. I have already Cultivated to the Golden Core Realm. To obtain resources for the Late Stage of Cultivation, I must join the army and fight. Otherwise, I might never be able to Breakthrough to the Nascent Soul Realm in my lifetime, let alone higher Realms!"

"At the same time, in our Great Zhou Empire, for a commoner family like ours, if we want to get ahead and become powerful, the only way is to join the army and pursue the path of earning noble titles through military merit!"

"I don't want to stay in this small place, Yang Family Village, for my whole life. I want to see the outside world!"

"Therefore, I must join the army. You don't need to try to persuade me anymore!"

Hearing the words of Yang Hai, Yang Kui, and Yang Xue, Yang Juncheng shook his head lightly and said.

"Little Jun, you have Cultivated to the Golden Core Realm?"

"Big Brother, when did you Cultivate to the Golden Core Realm?"

"Big Brother, I have only Cultivated to the Innate Realm, yet you have actually Cultivated to the Golden Core Realm. This is simply incredible!"

As soon as Yang Juncheng finished speaking, Yang Hai, Yang Kui, and Yang Xue exclaimed involuntarily, their eyes filled with shock.

The Great Zhou Empire holds martial arts in high regard, and the entire population practices martial arts. The Great Zhou Empire has directly made Cultivation Techniques up to the Primordial Spirit Realm available to all citizens, and has even spent great effort to promote them to the countryside and among the common people.

In this way, the Great Zhou Empire can easily obtain a large number of Martial Artists and low-level Cultivators, and select those with good Aptitude to fill the army, thereby enhancing the army's strength.

In fact, not only does the Great Zhou Empire do this, but the Great Xia Empire and the Great Shang Empire do the same.

Therefore, the strength of the Great Zhou Empire, the Great Shang Empire, and the Great Xia Empire is very powerful. None of them can do anything to the others, and they can only stand in confrontation on the Central Continent.

However, the high-level officials of the Great Zhou Empire, the Great Xia Empire, and the Great Shang Empire are also smart people.

Knowing that they cannot conquer the other two countries for the time being, the Great Zhou Empire, the Great Xia Empire, and the Great Shang Empire have all turned their attention to the East Sea, North Plains, West Sands, and South Wilderness outside the Central Continent. They have dispatched troops into the East Sea, North Plains, West Sands, and South Wilderness to occupy more land, population, and resources, thereby strengthening their national power and surpassing the other two countries.

Under these circumstances, the Great Zhou Empire, the Great Xia Empire, and the Great Shang Empire all implement a system of granting noble titles for military merit, encouraging warfare.

As long as one earns enough merit, even a commoner can continuously be promoted, eventually being titled a Prince, occupying a large area of territory, and possessing a private fief.

The people of the Great Zhou Empire, the Great Xia Empire, and the Great Shang Empire all attach great importance to military merit.

Joining the army and earning a noble title is the highest wish of all commoners in the three countries: the Great Zhou Empire, the Great Xia Empire, and the Great Shang Empire.

The reason Yang Hai, Yang Kui, and Yang Xue opposed Yang Juncheng joining the army is that the chance of earning a noble title is too small. Generally, only those with great strength and extremely high Aptitude have a chance.

Commoners with poor Aptitude have almost no chance of earning a noble title.

Yang Hai, Yang Kui, and Yang Xue initially thought that Yang Juncheng's Aptitude was not good, which is why they tried to persuade Yang Juncheng not to join the army.

But after learning that Yang Juncheng had Cultivated to the Golden Core Realm, their determination to persuade him vanished, and they even began to think that Yang Juncheng's decision was correct.

Hearing the exclamations of Yang Hai, Yang Kui, and Yang Xue, and seeing the expressions on their faces, Yang Juncheng smiled slightly and said: "Do you still oppose me joining the army now?"

"I don't oppose it anymore! Your Aptitude is too good; staying in Yang Family Village is indeed a waste!"

"Big Brother, whether I can live a prosperous life in the future will depend on you!"

"Big Brother, strive to get a Prince title and come back, so I can become a noble Princess of the Kingdom!"

Hearing Yang Juncheng's words, Yang Hai, Yang Kui, and Yang Xue all shook their heads.

Afterwards, the Yang Juncheng family chatted casually for a while before returning to their respective rooms to sleep.

The next morning, accompanied by his family, Yang Juncheng arrived at an open space at the entrance of Yang Family Village.

At this time, thousands of villagers from Yang Family Village had already gathered on the open space, including hundreds of teenagers and young men preparing to participate, standing in three neat lines, ready for enlistment testing and registration.

Seeing this scene, Yang Juncheng did not hesitate at all and immediately walked to the back of one of the lines to queue up.

The conditions for new recruits to join the Great Zhou Empire army are simple: a clean family background, an age between 16 and 30, and strength at or above the Grandmaster Realm.

The new recruits of the Great Zhou Empire are not cannon fodder, but the reserve force of the Great Zhou Empire, which requires a lot of time, energy, and resources to Cultivate.

Therefore, the Great Zhou Empire has strict requirements for the quality and Aptitude of new recruits.

Otherwise, the Great Zhou Empire would not need to restrict the age of new recruits at all.

After all, those with cultivation at the Mana Realm and above have lifespans of hundreds or even thousands of years, so restricting it to under thirty years old is a bit excessive.

Because only strength and age were being tested, the speed of testing and registration was very fast.

In just half an hour, the hundred or so people in front of Yang Juncheng had finished testing.

"Place your palm on the test board!"

The Great Zhou Empire officer sitting behind a square table pointed to a jade tablet on the table and said to Yang Juncheng.

Hearing the words of the Great Zhou Empire officer, Yang Juncheng did not hesitate at all, immediately extended his right hand, and placed it on the jade tablet.

"Sixteen years old, Golden Core Late Stage!"

At this moment, a line of small text appeared on the jade tablet.

Seeing that line of small text, the Great Zhou Empire officer was extremely surprised. He couldn't help but rub his eyes and read the small text on the jade tablet several times. After confirming it was correct, he registered it and said to Yang Juncheng: "You passed. Go to the back and wait!"

Hearing the words of the Great Zhou Empire officer, Yang Juncheng immediately walked towards the open space behind the officer.

Not long after, everyone in Yang Family Village who was willing to join the army had finished their testing and ranking. In the end, one hundred and eighty-six people passed the test and became new recruits of the Great Zhou Empire.

At this moment, the Great Zhou Empire officer walked in front of Yang Juncheng and the other new recruits and said loudly: "You have half an hour to say goodbye to your families. Half an hour later, we will leave Yang Family Village and head to the new recruit training camp!"