The Primordial Wilderness had endured for ages, through who knew how many cycles of Spring and Autumn.
Since Pangu had split open heaven and earth, immeasurable calamities had passed.
From the Dragon-Phoenix Calamity, when the Three Races contended, to the Witch-Demon Calamity, when the two clans battled, more than ten thousand years had passed since the Witches and Demons' first war.
The Six Saints had attained the Dao, and heaven and earth were temporarily at peace.
Though the Witches and Demons occasionally clashed, no great war had erupted again.
Ten thousand miles beyond Buzhou Mountain stood an immortal mountain called Wuji Peak, a Blessed Land already claimed by a cultivator.
That day, a handsome young man emerged from Longevity Palace atop the peak. His name was Lu Changqing.
As he gazed over the Primordial Wilderness, he could not help sighing. "Why did I take so long to assume form?"
Lu Changqing was a transmigrator, yet his origins were anything but ordinary. He had assumed form from an Innate Enlightenment Tree and had now reached the early stage of Grand Unity Golden Immortal.
"If I had assumed form during the Dragon-Phoenix Calamity, I would at least be a Quasi-Saint by now." He shook his head and muttered to himself. "Still, with my origins, reaching the Quasi-Saint realm is only a matter of time."
"Unfortunately, the Saint positions are already full. In the end, I will never amount to much!"
Just as he was wallowing in frustration, a mechanical voice suddenly rang out in his mind:
Ding—Host detected. Great Dao Prodigal System binding in progress!
Lu Changqing was initially delighted, but then frowned. A prodigal system? What use was that in the Primordial Wilderness?
System binding complete. Ding—Congratulations, Host. Binding successful.
Reward: one million billion merit. Please spend it freely.
Once all merit has been spent, you may immediately attain the status of a Great Dao Saint.
Lu Changqing was utterly shocked.
The Six Saints of the Primordial Wilderness were merely Saints of the Heavenly Dao, while even Hongjun was only the Spokesperson of the Heavenly Dao. Yet this system promised him a Great Dao Saint position beyond the Heavenly Dao itself!
If he used all one million billion merit on himself, would he not ascend directly to the Great Dao? he calculated inwardly.
The system replied: Reminder—The bestowed merit cannot be used to improve the Host's cultivation, nor may it be given away without cause. Equivalent exchange must be observed.
Just as Lu Changqing was about to complain, the system spoke again:
Ding—A mysterious gift pack is awarded upon first binding.
With a thought, he opened the gift pack:
Primordial Creation Art ×1
God-Slaying Spear ×1
Sacred Azure Tribulation Light ×1
Ascension Dao Profound Spirit Fruit ×1
Even Lu Changqing, who had seen much, could not help quickening his breath.
Every item in this gift pack was heaven-defying.
The Primordial Creation Art could condense Three Thousand Dao Seeds and evolve Three Thousand Laws. Once cultivated to mastery, it could increase one's combat power ten thousandfold and point directly toward the Great Dao.
The God-Slaying Spear was the vicious weapon of Demon Ancestor Luohu, its baleful aura capable of corroding a Sage's soul.
Lu Changqing immediately took it out. The spear's gleam was icy, while its baleful aura soared into the heavens.
After a thousand years, he finally completely refined this Primordial Supreme Treasure.
He then began studying the Sacred Azure Tribulation Light. He had never heard of this divine ability before, so he examined the system's detailed explanation.
When activated, the Sacred Azure Tribulation Light erupted with a dazzling radiance that annihilated all things.
Wherever this divine light swept, heaven and earth reversed, time froze, and the Myriad Worlds turned to nothingness! Lu Changqing stared at the description, his pupils shrinking. It possessed such terrifying might!
With his Grand Unity Golden Immortal cultivation, even if he gave it everything he had, he likely could not display even one hundred-millionth of this divine ability's true essence.
Such a disparity only made the Sacred Azure Tribulation Light seem even more extraordinary.
Once he had calmed himself, Lu Changqing turned his attention to the final gift—the Chaos Spiritual Fruit, the Ascension Dao Profound Spirit Fruit.
The mere two words made his Dao heart tremble.
Such a heavenly treasure had vanished when the primordial chaos was first divided. In the present Primordial Wilderness, even the most precious treasures were merely Top-grade Innate Spiritual Roots.
Even those lofty Saints of the Heavenly Dao knew Chaos Spiritual Roots only as legends.
For the system to casually bestow even such a divine object, it truly was unfathomable! As he marveled, Lu Changqing eagerly began examining the Spiritual Fruit's mysteries.
Its brief description contained heaven-shaking power: it could reshape one's origin! He immediately took out the Ascension Dao Profound Spirit Fruit and began refining it.
The instant the Spiritual Fruit entered his body, Three Thousand Great Dao True Mantras encircled him, radiating supreme majesty.
Within his Purple Palace, countless acupoints each evolved into a world, stars revolving as their own cosmos.
When all the acupoints shone at once, the terrifying aura of a Chaos Demon God shot into the heavens, alarming numerous great powers throughout the Primordial Wilderness.
By the time they tried to trace it, the aura had already vanished without a trace.
Lu Changqing, having completed his transformation, slowly exhaled a breath of turbid air. "It is finally done. I wonder what level my origins have reached now?"
Looking inward, he discovered with delight that his origins had leaped from those of an Innate God to the level of a top-tier Chaos Demon God! The Chaos Spiritual Fruit truly had such miraculous effects! He could not help exclaiming in amazement.
One had to know that even the Six Saints of the present Primordial Wilderness possessed only the origins of Innate Gods, while he now rivaled Great God Pangu, who had created heaven and earth.
As his origins transformed, his cultivation naturally broke through to the late stage of Grand Unity Golden Immortal as well.
After refining the Chaos Spiritual Fruit, Lu Changqing immediately began comprehending the mysteries of the Great Dao.
** As it circulated, Great Dao Divine Patterns emerged, surrounded by Three Thousand Laws.
Within his Purple Palace, countless worlds shone brilliantly as Three Thousand Dao Seeds gradually took shape.
A river of spacetime stretched across the heavens, while the River of Years emerged bearing a galaxy.
When the Three Thousand Dao Seeds finally condensed, endless Great Dao True Mantras swept through the nine heavens and ten lands with **-destroying might.
Boom—
The violent might of the Great Dao instantly destroyed his cultivation cave, and the vast aura once again alarmed the Primordial Wilderness.
But this might came and went swiftly. By the time the many great powers arrived to investigate, no trace remained.
Having just entered this realm, Lu Changqing felt incomparably refreshed.
With a casual wave, Three Thousand Laws followed him; with a single palm strike, he could shatter ten thousand layers of mountains and rivers.
His strength had increased by more than a hundredfold compared to before.
As expected of the Great Dao Prodigal System—its gifts were truly lavish!
After marveling for a while, Lu Changqing began considering how to squander his one million billion merit.
A flash of inspiration struck him. Since he could not use it to improve his cultivation, why not forge Merit Magic Treasures?
There was a special kind of magic treasure in the Primordial Wilderness: fusing innate or postnatal spiritual treasures with merit could multiply their power.
With that thought, he immediately took out his companion treasure—a Top Grade Innate Spiritual Treasure, the Tai Xu Creation Banner.
When this banner was waved, it could release the power of Tai Xu, corroding all things and dissolving primordial spirits.
Lu Changqing summoned a Merit Golden Cloud and poured it in without the slightest restraint.
After exhausting one cloud, he took another, continuing until he could no longer pour any more into it.
Such wanton extravagance truly felt satisfying.
After completing the refinement, Lu Changqing first checked the system records, only to frown. After using so many Merit Golden Clouds, he had spent only one million merit? If other cultivators heard such a complaint, they would likely cough up blood in rage—one million merit was an opportunity they could seek for a lifetime without finding.
Upon closer inspection, the original Top Grade Innate Spiritual Treasure had advanced into a Top-Grade Innate Merit Spiritual Treasure.
It appeared ordinary on the surface, but a dense aura of merit flowed within it.
The changes seemed rather minor? Lu Changqing gently waved the treasure banner, and the power of Tai Xu surged forth dark as ink, annihilating everything in its path.
His eyes lit up. Merit's blessing truly was extraordinary. Its power had increased more than tenfold, nearly rivaling a Primordial Supreme Treasure!
Unfortunately, refining one item had consumed only one million merit, less than one hundred-millionth of the total.
Having too many good things was a source of trouble as well. Such a shamelessly boastful sigh was enough to drive cultivators throughout the Primordial Wilderness mad with envy.
After sighing, he took out his remaining magic treasures.
Though there were not many, every bit he could spend counted.
At present, he had only a dozen or so Postnatal Spiritual Treasures and supreme treasures left—Innate Spiritual Treasures were ultimately precious, and even the Two Saints of the West possessed only a handful.
In the blink of an eye, this batch of postnatal treasures had all become Merit Magic Treasures.
Still unsatisfied, he even refined the Daoist robe he wore into a Post-Natal Merit Supreme Treasure.
Only the system-bestowed Primordial Supreme Treasure, the God-Slaying Spear, remained unchanged—it was the foremost vicious weapon of the Primordial Wilderness, and pouring merit into it would instead weaken its slaughtering origin.
After refining his treasures, Lu Changqing suddenly recalled the matter of Merit Golden Wheels.
He immediately took out an enormous amount of Merit Golden Clouds and condensed Nine Thousand Nine Hundred Ninety-Nine Merit Golden Wheels behind him.
When the complete set of Merit Divine Attire appeared, dazzling golden light rose like the morning sun, illuminating the nine heavens and ten lands and once again alarming the great powers of the Primordial Wilderness.
Before they could investigate, Lu Changqing had already contentedly withdrawn the phenomenon, leaving them only a dreamlike, fleeting glimpse.
"Tsk, tsk. If those cultivators saw me like this, would it not blind their dog eyes?"
Lu Changqing tugged at the corner of his mouth in self-mockery, then waved away all the magic treasures covering his body, leaving only a plain Daoist robe.
Once he had tidied himself up, he casually glanced at the system panel—
After all that fuss,
he had spent only a measly ten million merit,
compared to the hundred-billion fortune lying in his account,
it was like plucking a single hair from nine oxen.
"What a headache. When will I ever manage to squander all this one million billion merit?"
Lu Changqing rubbed his temples in distress.
If outsiders heard that,
they would probably vomit three pints of blood on the spot—
the opportunity others could only beg for,
had instead become a burden to him,
truly, comparing oneself to others could make one furious.
With a sigh, Lu Changqing decided to head down the mountain for a walk.
There was no point in staying cooped up on Wuji Peak all the time.
He might as well take a look around the Primordial Land.
Perhaps he would find some ways to burn money.
No sooner said than done,
he flipped his hand and summoned the newly refined Post-Natal Merit Supreme Treasure, the Limitless Divine Boat.
With a slight turn of his thoughts, the palm-sized boat expanded in the wind.
He lightly leaped onto its prow,
and its cloudlike hull tore through the sky,
vanishing into the boundless sea of clouds in the blink of an eye.
As he sped along,
he saw constant friction between the Witch and Demon Clans.
Though no great war had broken out, small ** could be seen everywhere.
Fortunately, Lu Changqing possessed late-stage Grand Unity Golden Immortal cultivation,
so ordinary cultivators would take a detour whenever they saw him.
At that moment, among the mountains and forests below,
Demon Clan general Che Qi had just led his troops in defeating a group of Witch Clan members.
He was proudly looking up at the sky,
when he happened to see the golden divine boat streak past the clouds.
Looking more closely,
he discovered that the person aboard was merely a Grand Unity Golden Immortal,
and jealousy immediately flared within him.
"How is someone with such pathetic cultivation worthy of using a Post-Natal Merit Supreme Treasure?"
A vicious glint flickered in Che Qi's eyes,
and he turned to bark at his subordinates:
"You retreat first. I will be back shortly!"
Before his words had even faded,
he transformed into a Demon Wind and shot into the sky.
Lu Changqing remained completely unaware,
resting his chin on his hand as he pondered:
"Should I launch a comprehensive greening project across the Primordial Land?"
Suddenly, a foul wind struck him in the face,
and the divine boat came to an abrupt halt in midair.
"Who goes there?"
Lu Changqing frowned and looked ahead.
As the Demon Wind dispersed,
it revealed a sinister-looking Demon Clan man.
"Greetings, Fellow Daoist."
Che Qi clasped his hands hypocritically,
though greed gleamed in his eyes.
"I see that this divine boat is fated with me..."
Before he could finish,
the pressure of a peak Grand Unity Golden Immortal descended like a mountain.
Lu Changqing nearly laughed aloud—
Had he run into a highway robber?
He was just considering whether to form a ** of merit and teach the other man a lesson,
A sharp cry suddenly tore through the air:
"Demon Clan, how dare you run wild!"
A slender figure came striding through the air,
followed by a burly man built like an iron tower.
Che Qi turned at the sound,
his face instantly draining of color,
and spun around to flee.
"Trying to run?"
The burly man roared,
his bowl-sized fist crashing forward,
shattering the space in its path inch by inch.
Che Qi hurriedly brought out his natal treasure to block it,
but with a deafening boom,
his body exploded into a cloud of blood,
leaving only his primordial spirit wrapped around the damaged treasure as it fled in panic.
Lu Changqing raised his brows at the sight—
that brutally direct, fist-to-fist fighting style
could only belong to the Witch Clan.
"Thank you both for stepping in so righteously."
He was about to offer his thanks
when an idea suddenly struck him:
Why not give them some merit as a gift of thanks?
"System, it wouldn't be excessive to transfer ten million merit points to Houtu, would it?"
[According to the principle of equivalent exchange, the maximum gift is one hundred thousand merit points.]
"Cheapskate."
Lu Changqing inwardly curled his lip.
At that moment, the Witch Clan woman said calmly:
"Fellow Daoist, there is no need to be so courteous.
The Demon Clan has been running rampant and acting tyrannically. It is only right that we intervene."
As she spoke, she cupped her hands in introduction:
"I am the Ancestral Witch Houtu, and this is the Great Witch Xing Tian.
May I ask how you are called, Fellow Daoist?"
Lu Changqing's heart stirred—
so she was the one who would one day transform herself into Reincarnation.
"I am Lu Changqing, cultivating at Wuji Peak."
With a smile, he turned his palm over and condensed a cloud of Merit Golden Cloud,
"Just a small gift, to express my gratitude."
The instant the golden light appeared,
Houtu froze on the spot.
Xing Tian's eyes widened even further—
there were actually people these days who casually gave away merit?
One had to know that even the saints worried over merit.
Nuwa had become a saint through the merit of creating humanity,
the Three Pure Ones had relied on Pangu's legacy to receive a share of the Merit of World Creation,
while the Two Saints of the West had relied on making great vows just to borrow merit...
"I cannot accept this!"
Houtu hurriedly tried to refuse,
"This is far too precious!"
Lu Changqing simply stuffed the golden cloud into her hands:
"Why be so formal, Fellow Daoist?
Perhaps this merit can help you condense a primordial spirit?"
He clearly remembered
that in the legends of later generations, Houtu had condensed her primordial spirit through merit,
ultimately transforming herself into Reincarnation and attaining the Dao to become a saint.
In the Primordial World, the power of merit was practically a universal panacea.
Whether it was enhancing one's cultivation, tempering magical treasures,
or improving one's fortune, it could accomplish twice the result with half the effort.
Before you continue