Tongtian Almost Faints from Anger

As he spoke, Daoist Zhunti flipped his hand, producing a Thousand-Eyed Bodhi Seed. Looking at Tongtian Cult Master, he said, "Fellow Daoist Tongtian, this is a Bodhi Seed from this humble Taoist's true body. It contains boundless magical power. So long as you allow Li Xiao to join my Western Sect, this Bodhi Seed shall be yours. What do you say?"

Tongtian Cult Master looked at Daoist Zhunti with disdain and curled his lips. "Hmph, Zhunti, this humble Taoist sees that you won't shed tears until you see the coffin. You still dare bargain with me here? You truly seek death!"

As he spoke, Tongtian Cult Master pointed at Daoist Zhunti. With a clang of sword song, the Qingping Sword shot forth, transforming into a streak of light that slashed straight at Daoist Zhunti.

Daoist Zhunti was startled and hurriedly flipped his hand, summoning the Seven Treasures Wonderful Tree before fiercely sweeping it.

In an instant, seven-colored Buddhist treasure light surged forth, forming a rainbow stream that crashed heavily into the Qingping Sword.

Boom...

The two Supreme Grade Innate Spiritual Treasures collided, erupting with an unparalleled shockwave. Terrifying energy spread outward like a tidal wave, flattening everything within hundreds of millions of miles in an instant.

Gold, silver, and other treasures clattered to the ground. Daoist Zhunti's heart ached at the sight, and he cried out in shock and fury, "Tongtian, you..."

"Hmph, Zhunti, since you seek death, don't blame this humble Taoist for showing no mercy!"

Tongtian Cult Master flew into a rage. With a shake of his arms, a vast celebration cloud burst forth behind his head. Within it, the Immortal Slaying Formation Diagram and the Four Immortal Slaying Swords shone against one another, releasing endless sword radiance that surged into the heavens.

Daoist Zhunti's pupils constricted sharply. How could he dare linger? He hurriedly tore open the void, slipped into it, and fled back to the Western Sect as though running for his life.

"Hmph!"

Tongtian Cult Master snorted coldly and withdrew his celebration cloud. He glanced toward the ancestral land of the human race, then turned and vanished into the void, returning to Golden Ao Island.

Tongtian Cult Master's display of killing the chicken to scare the monkeys had clearly worked!

The Saints of All Heavens no longer dared make any unusual moves.

Within the human race's ancestral land, Li Xiao flipped his hand and brought out the boundless merit he had obtained recently.

After harvesting merit more than a dozen times, Li Xiao had accumulated an immense amount of merit.

After hesitating for a moment, Li Xiao flipped his hand and produced an immortal sword, then poured all that merit into it.

The immortal sword had originally been utterly ordinary, but once the merit entered it, its grade skyrocketed in an instant, becoming a merit treasure.

"Fine treasure, fine treasure. I'll call you the Wuji Sword..."

Li Xiao examined the Wuji Sword and thought that with this merit treasure, he would no longer need to worry about karmic backlash when killing people and taking their treasures in the future.

Although Li Xiao could use the Chaos Bead to conceal himself from the Heavenly Dao, making it unable to find its target and thus avoid karmic backlash, it was still not as satisfying as directly using a merit treasure to kill and seize treasures.

After examining the Wuji Sword again, Li Xiao leisurely rode a cloud toward Penglai Immortal Island.

"I'm so tired. It's time to get some proper rest..."

Once he returned to his cultivation grounds, Li Xiao relaxed and promptly fell asleep in a rocking chair.

After an unknown amount of time, a streak of light shot over. When the light faded, it revealed a beautiful figure—it was Yunxiao.

Yunxiao looked at the deeply sleeping Li Xiao, studying his sharply defined face and handsome features. For no reason at all, her pretty face flushed.

"Junior Sister Yunxiao, your senior brother is handsome, right? Have I dazzled you senseless and completely captivated you?"

Just then, Li Xiao opened his eyes and spoke with a shameless grin.

"Ah..."

Yunxiao jumped in fright, and her pretty face turned even redder. Even her neck and earlobes were flushed. Her cheeks glowed like two ripe red apples, making one want to take a bite.

"Pah, fifth senior brother, you're really full of yourself..."

Yunxiao felt as though a little deer were pounding about in her heart. Her heart raced wildly as she spat lightly and covered her face to hide her panic.

Li Xiao merely smiled without speaking, staring at Yunxiao.

Ding...

The host stared at the beautiful Yunxiao. Your mood is very pleasant. Reward: several hundred thousand years of cultivation. You have entered the peak Grand Unity Golden Immortal realm!

Just then, the system's voice rang out.

The next moment, a mysterious power poured into Li Xiao's body.

Li Xiao's celebration cloud suddenly burst forth behind his head, displaying the phenomena of Three Flowers Gathering at the Crown and Five Qi Returning to Origin. At this moment, the three flowers behind his head had fully bloomed, radiating enchanting brilliance and Dao charm.

This was the peak Grand Unity Golden Immortal realm!

Yunxiao was stunned by what she saw, then said joyfully, "Senior Brother Li Xiao truly is formidable. You have broken through to the peak Grand Unity Golden Immortal realm, and with so much merit, it should not be long before you sever your Good Corpse and enter the Quasi-Saint realm!"

"Severing a corpse? Entering the Quasi-Saint realm? That won't be happening..."

Li Xiao rolled his eyes, sat back down in the rocking chair, and continued basking in the sun.

"What?"

Yunxiao was utterly dumbfounded.

Li Xiao flipped his hand and brought out the Wuji Sword. Smiling, he said, "This humble Taoist infused all the merit I obtained into this immortal sword, creating a merit treasure..."

"You... Senior Brother Li Xiao, you... Such immense merit, and instead of using it to cultivate, you infused it into a treasure? This... this is simply a terrible waste, a terrible waste! You..."

The moment Yunxiao saw it, she became anxious and said furiously.

"Junior Sister Yunxiao, you don't understand..."

Li Xiao did not care in the slightest. He put away the Wuji Sword and continued basking in the sun.

Ding...

You teased Yunxiao. Your mood is pleasant. Comprehension +1.

Ding...

You basked in the sun. You felt carefree and delighted. Bloodline +1.

The system's voice rang out continuously.

Beside him, Yunxiao looked like a wronged little wife, puffing out her cheeks as she glared fiercely at Li Xiao.

Oh, Yunxiao, you don't understand. Merit is actually like Primordial Violet Qi—it has hidden traps. If one uses that stuff to improve cultivation, future achievements will likely be limited. Breaking beyond the Heavenly Dao would probably become impossible...

Just then, Yunxiao heard Li Xiao's inner thoughts.

Yunxiao froze and stared at Li Xiao in disbelief. So merit carries such secrets as well? This...

After gathering herself, Yunxiao cupped her hands toward Li Xiao and said, "Fifth senior brother, I still have matters to attend to, so I'll take my leave first!"

With that, Yunxiao turned into a streak of light and fled toward Golden Ao Island.

Upon arriving at Golden Ao Island, Yunxiao entered Biyou Palace and met Tongtian Cult Master. She cupped her hands and said, "This disciple greets Master!"

Tongtian Cult Master waved his sleeve and set down layer upon layer of restrictions. Looking at Yunxiao, he smiled and said, "Yunxiao, you just came from Penglai Immortal Island, didn't you? How was it? That brat Li Xiao obtained so much merit. Before long, my Jie Sect will surely gain another mighty Quasi-Saint..."

Tongtian Cult Master Was Nearly Angered to Faint

"Um... Master, I'm afraid you may be disappointed. Senior Brother Li Xiao likely cannot break through to the Quasi-Saint realm anytime soon..."

Yunxiao looked at Tongtian Cult Master awkwardly as she spoke.

Tongtian Cult Master froze. Looking at Yunxiao, he asked, "What do you mean? That brat obtained so much merit. Using it to sever his Good Corpse should be effortless. How could he possibly fail to break through?"

Yunxiao looked at Tongtian Cult Master and smiled bitterly. "Master, Senior Brother Li Xiao infused all the merit he obtained into an immortal sword..."

Pfft...

Upon hearing this, Tongtian Cult Master nearly spat out a mouthful of blood. He looked at Yunxiao in shock and fury. "What? What did you say? That brat infused all his merit into an immortal sword? This, this, this... What a terrible waste! What a terrible waste! Argh, I'm furious! That unfilial disciple, that unfilial disciple! How could he waste it so horribly? That was merit! He... How could he do this? He..."

At this moment, Tongtian Cult Master was like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. He leaped high into the air, cursing furiously. Clearly, Li Xiao had angered him terribly.

"Um... Master, please don't get worked up. There are reasons for this..."

Yunxiao hurriedly said.

"Reasons, my ass! That brat doesn't know his limits! He got some merit and became so arrogant, wasting it so recklessly! Instead of using it to improve his cultivation, he... he infused all of it into an immortal sword! What merit could that sword possibly have? He... No, my heart! That unfilial disciple is going to anger me to death, I..."

Tongtian Cult Master sat upon his cloud bed, rubbing his chest to calm his ragged breathing as though he might breathe his last at any moment.

Yunxiao looked at Tongtian Cult Master helplessly and smiled bitterly. "Master, there truly are reasons. I heard Senior Brother Li Xiao's inner thoughts. He said... he said merit also has hidden traps, just like Primordial Violet Qi. If one uses merit to improve cultivation, one may be bound by the Heavenly Dao in the future..."

"What? Merit has hidden traps as well? This..."

Tongtian Cult Master's eyes widened. His old face twitched violently as he stared at Yunxiao in disbelief. "Yunxiao, did you hear that correctly?"

Yunxiao hurriedly cupped her hands. "Master, how could this disciple possibly mishear something so important..."

"This... I never expected it, never expected it at all. Merit actually has secrets like these..."

Tongtian Cult Master's heart churned like stormy seas. His fury turned to shock, and his Dao Heart, which had remained as still as an ancient well for countless years, was stirred into towering waves.

After calming himself, Tongtian Cult Master looked at Yunxiao and asked, "Yunxiao, do you know how that brat Li Xiao learned of merit's hidden traps?"

"Th-that... Senior Brother Li Xiao didn't say, and this disciple does not know either..."

Yunxiao hurriedly cupped her hands.

Tongtian Cult Master nodded and waved his hand. "All right, Yunxiao. You may withdraw."

"Take care, Master. This disciple takes her leave!"

Yunxiao cupped her hands toward Tongtian Cult Master again, then bowed and withdrew from Biyou Palace.

"Just how many secrets is that brat hiding? He actually... actually knows such hidden truths. This..."

Within Biyou Palace, Tongtian Cult Master's shocked voice could faintly be heard.

East Sea Dragon Palace.

Candle Dragon sat in the seat of honor, while the Dragon Kings of the other three seas paced anxiously on the ground. Only Dragon King Ao Guang of the East Sea was absent.

Li Xiao had caused such a tremendous commotion that the dragon race had naturally learned of it!

Dragon King Ao Guang of the East Sea had sent people to gather information.

That mysterious great expert had, within a mere dozen or so years, successfully plotted for merit more than a dozen times in succession. Such schemes were unmatched beneath heaven. If the dragon race could gain this great expert's protection, it would surely break free from the shackles of karmic backlash.

The dragon race regarded that mysterious great expert who sought merit as an opportunity—an opportunity for the dragon race to rise again!

"Ancestor, Ancestor..."