Fine beads of sweat appeared on Houtu's forehead.
The patch of pure land forcibly carved out by the Power of Merit was like an insatiable beast devouring gold, consuming the merit she had accumulated at a visible rate.
The efficiency was far too low.
"Little sister, this can't go on!"
Qiangliang looked somewhat anxious. "Your merit isn't limitless!"
The Technology Department's way of thinking was always to tear everything down and start over, with no awareness of cost control.
Xuanzheng shook his head, walked to the edge of the pure land, crouched down, and picked up a pinch of soil purified by the Power of Merit, its color a faint gold.
The soil swiftly lost its luster between his fingers and turned black again, corroded by resentment.
"Sister, what we lack isn't power. It's a method."
Xuanzheng rose to his feet and turned toward the bone palace in the distance, a professional smile appearing on his face.
"It seems it's time to discuss 'resource integration' and 'interdepartmental cooperation' with our new colleague."
Before the Blood Sea palace.
Minghe sat cross-legged atop the Karma Red Lotus, his eyes closed as he regulated his breathing, his expression still grim.
Xuanzheng swaggered over with the three ancestral witches.
"Minister Minghe, are you getting used to the job?"
Minghe opened his eyes, his blood-red pupils filled with suppressed fury.
"Xuanzheng, this is my Blood Sea."
"No." Xuanzheng corrected him.
"Now, this is under the jurisdiction of the 'Primordial Netherworld Construction Group Purification Department.' And you are the minister. Therefore, this is our Blood Sea."
He completely ignored the murderous look on Minghe's face.
"I'm here to discuss a deal with you. Or rather, to advance you part of your 'salary' and 'dividends.'"
Minghe raised a brow.
With a flick of his wrist, several ores gleaming with different lights appeared in Xuanzheng's palm.
"Grand Unity Essence Gold, Shouyang Mountain Divine Copper, and this Star Core. These should be useful for repairing your Karma Red Lotus."
Minghe's pupils contracted slightly.
These were indeed materials he needed, yet could not obtain within the Blood Sea.
The fish was taking the bait.
"State your terms," Minghe said coldly.
"Very simple."
Xuanzheng pointed at the surging bloody waters beneath them. "I want to find a few things in this sea. Some Nether Iron Essence, Blood Fiend Crystals, and other local specialties."
He paused, then added, "Of course, as Group assets, we had the right to use them anyway. But that wouldn't make us seem very humane, would it? We should respect our veteran employees."
Minghe sneered inwardly.
Humane? As if he would believe that nonsense.
"Fine," Minghe agreed in a low voice. "But you may only search the outer regions. You are not permitted to enter the Blood Sea's core."
"Deal!" Xuanzheng readily tossed the spirit materials in his hand over. "Minister Minghe truly understands the greater good. Happy cooperation!"
After gathering enough materials, the four returned to the pure land.
Houtu looked at the pile of ores and crystals that radiated dense yin-fiend energy and even carried cursed power, her delicate brows tightly furrowed.
"Thirteenth Brother, can we really use these things...?"
"Of course we can." An almost fanatical expression of a "researcher" appeared on Xuanzheng's face. "Sister, forget everything you think you know about materials. Before absolute power, there is no such thing as 'good' or 'evil.' There is only 'usable' and 'unusable.'"
He picked up a Blood Fiend Crystal. Within it, countless wronged souls seemed to be wailing.
"Now, what we need to do is turn waste into treasure."
He looked at Houtu and patiently guided her.
"Sister, please summon the Power of Merit, but don't purify it. Instead... envelop it, permeate it, treat it as a piece of stubborn iron. Use your merit as a hammer and forge it into the shape we need."
It was a theory unlike anything she had ever heard.
Houtu hesitated for a moment, but ultimately chose to trust Xuanzheng.
She extended her slender jade hand, and a strand of pure Merit Golden Light wound around the Blood Fiend Crystal like a gentle ribbon.
Sizzle—!
The golden and bloody lights collided with a piercing shriek.
"Hold steady!" Xuanzheng barked. "Don't resist it—'neutralize' it! Treat it as one pigment and your merit as another. Blend them together!"
Hehehe, yes, just like that! Use positive energy to contaminate negative energy! That's called reverse thinking!
Under Xuanzheng's guidance, Houtu gradually grasped the trick.
A marvelous transformation took place.
The scarlet glow of the Blood Fiend Crystal gradually faded, replaced by a mellow dark violet tinged with pale gold along its edges.
The wailing inside quieted, and the violent energy became stable and orderly.
It worked!
Over the following days, Xuanzheng served as the Chief Designer while Houtu handled the "construction," using this Merit Artifact Refining Method to forge the gathered materials into a batch of peculiar artifacts.
Several palm-sized black banners had soul-calming runes embroidered onto them with Merit Gold thread.
Strings of beads polished from Nether Iron Essence each contained a tranquil and peaceful aura.
"I call them the test version of the Rebirth Series Artifacts."
Xuanzheng picked up a small banner. "This is a simplified Soul Guiding Banner, and that is a Soul Calming Bead. They are single-use consumables."
He arranged these artifacts throughout every corner of the Purification Test Zone.
Buzz—!
The instant the artifacts activated, the aura of the entire test zone was completely transformed!
Houtu only needed to expend one-tenth of the Power of Merit she had used before to operate the entire formation, while its purification efficiency increased by more than a hundredfold!
She stared blankly at the sight, her eyes filled with shock and joy.
In the distance, Minghe watched everything from atop the bone palace.
His fists clenched tightly within his sleeves.
That witch had used the filthiest "trash" from his Blood Sea to create "divine artifacts" that even frightened him.
This was no longer artifact refining.
This was creating rules!
Xuanzheng looked with satisfaction at the efficiently operating "assembly line," already forming an even grander blueprint in his mind.
Merit Cement, Merit Rebar, Merit Prefabricated Boards... feasible!
He turned around and waved a broad hand at the dumbfounded crowd.
"We still don't have enough materials."
"Minister Minghe, tell your men to work overtime and mine!"
Before you continue