Houtu, who had originally politely refused

Houtu, who had initially declined, felt her heart tremble slightly at Lu Changqing's words and said in surprise:

"Fellow Daoist, are your words true?"

Though not entirely certain himself, Lu Changqing saw Houtu finally accept the Merit Golden Cloud and said with a smile:

"True or false, a single try will tell!"

Only then did Houtu reluctantly accept this gift.

Thinking of receiving such a generous offering for nothing, she felt uneasy and extended an invitation:

"Fellow Daoist Changqing is so generous; Houtu has nothing to repay you with. Why not come to the Witch Clan for a visit? My clan will surely receive you with great hospitality!"

Hearing the invitation, Lu Changqing immediately declined:

"I'll pass on the visit; I still have important matters to attend to!"

Though he held a favorable impression of Houtu, this was hardly the time for idle wandering.

He still had ninety trillion merits to spend.

Seeing this, Houtu did not insist.

After thanking him repeatedly, she watched Lu Changqing depart into the distance before returning to the Witch Clan.

Boarding the Divine Vessel once more to continue his journey, Lu Changqing gazed at the ninety-nine trillion merit balance in the system.

The countless trailing zeros dazzled the eyes.

He couldn't help but press his forehead and sigh:

"Spending it in tens of trillions like this—when will it ever run dry? Ah—the path to squandering is long and arduous; little Lu still has work to do!"

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At this moment, Houtu, returning to the Witch Clan alongside Xing Tian, still felt as if in a dream.

"Xing Tian, what just happened—was it not a dream?"

Houtu asked dazedly.

After all, that was a hundred thousand merits, and she had merely fulfilled the Witch Clan's duty.

Defeating a Demon Race at the peak of Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal—

and obtaining merits that cultivators in the Primordial Wilderness dreamed of?

If she told this to others, no one would dare believe it, not even in their wildest dreams.

Hearing this, Xing Tian raised his hand and slapped himself across the face.

Smack—

The pain was real; it was no dream.

He murmured: "It's real after all..."

Houtu and Xing Tian were still in a daze as they returned to the Witch Clan.

As for Che Qi, whose physical body had been shattered by Xing Tian and whose Primordial Spirit had fled, he had not actually gone far.

He lurked in the shadows, spying, and seeing Lu Changqing so overbearing, dark thoughts stirred within him.

But now, with only a Primordial Spirit remaining and no physical body, he could not move Lu Changqing in the slightest.

"It seems I must first return to the Demon Race and seek reinforcements."

Che Qi muttered to himself, then sped off toward the Demon Race, hoping to find a powerful being to assist him.

Meanwhile, Houtu had already returned to the Witch Clan.

Because Lu Changqing had once said that refining merit might help condense a Primordial Spirit, she did not first seek out her elder brother but went straight to her hall to attempt it.

As the merit was gradually refined, a stream of pure, ethereal energy flowed through her body, and faint Dao Patterns appeared around her, then quietly vanished into her form.

When the merit was fully refined, a wisp of a faint Primordial Spirit actually took shape.

Though it was as thin as a silk thread, barely perceptible, and offered almost no boost to her strength, Houtu was still overjoyed—

this proved that the path of merit was indeed viable.

"So it's true... Fellow Daoist Changqing's words were not false!"

She murmured softly to herself, then hurried to the Pangu Temple, intending to quickly tell her elder brother the news.

Meanwhile, Lu Changqing, still wandering the Primordial Wilderness, once again encountered a Demon Wind blocking his path.

This Demon Wind was fiercer than the last.

"Again? Have I stirred up a nest of the Demon Race?"

Lu Changqing shook his head helplessly.

Within the Demon Wind, a Kunpeng that blotted out the sky and covered the sun slowly emerged, its wings fluttering lightly, scattering the wind and clouds, before it transformed into human form.

It cast a cold glance at Lu Changqing, then turned back to ask Che Qi, "Is this the one?"

Che Qi grinned viciously. "Ancestor, it's him. He carries many Merit Supreme Treasures."

Upon hearing this, Kunpeng's eyes gleamed with greed, and he scrutinized Lu Changqing carefully, as if appraising something already in his grasp.

As a Late Quasi-Saint, he naturally held no regard for Lu Changqing, a mere Late Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal.

Even with the enhancement of Merit Supreme Treasures, the gap in cultivation level could not be bridged by external objects.

Among Quasi-Saints, Kunpeng was notoriously impoverished, owning nothing of value, not even a decent magic artifact.

Hearing that a Zenith Heaven cultivator possessed multiple Merit Supreme Treasures, he set aside all dignity and came personally to claim them.

The more he looked, the more pleased he became.

The Limitless Divine Boat beneath Lu Changqing's feet and the Dao robe he wore were all Merit Supreme Treasures.

"A mere Zenith Heaven—how is he worthy of possessing so many Merit Supreme Treasures?"

Kunpeng said with a smile, "Better to hand them over to This Seat for safekeeping."

Lu Changqing found this utterly absurd.

"Are all you demons so shameless?"

Kunpeng was unfazed by the mockery, instead flashing a sinister smile.

"To cultivate to Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal is no easy feat. Why throw away a thousand years of cultivation for a few mere treasures?"

Though confident he could destroy Lu Changqing with a snap of his fingers, he feared the karmic backlash from attacking one blessed with merit, so he held back.

Facing the threat, Lu Changqing remained completely at ease.

Even a Late Quasi-Saint—with a hundred trillion merits shielding him, even a Sage in person would think twice before acting rashly.

Lu Changqing curled his lips in disdain.

"Not giving it. If you've got the guts, come take it!"

Such arrogant defiance left Che Qi and Kunpeng momentarily stunned.

After a brief pause, Kunpeng's fury turned to laughter.

"Ha! This Seat has roamed the Primordial Wilderness for countless eons, and today I meet someone who doesn't know his place!"

Kunpeng laughed in rage, gathering world-shattering power in his palm, ready to obliterate Lu Changqing on the spot.

But Lu Changqing remained calm. With a mere thought—

Nine thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine dazzling golden wheels rose behind him, their radiant merit light illuminating beyond the Thirty-Three Heavens, blinding Kunpeng and Che Qi.

"What... what is this?"

They stared in disbelief at the nearly ten thousand Merit Golden Wheels. The vast heavenly power within the golden light shook their very Dao hearts.

Kunpeng had lived through countless kalpas—when had he ever seen such a sight?

"Could they all be... Merit Golden Wheels?!"

Kunpeng's voice trembled in the blinding golden radiance.

These wheels, condensed from pure merit, could not attack, but they boosted fortune and protected luck.

Who would be so extravagant as to flash nearly ten thousand wheels just to dazzle others? If it were him, he'd have poured that ocean of merit into a spiritual treasure!

"Demon Master... there really are nine thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine!"

Che Qi swallowed hard, staring at the figure bathed in a sea of merit, his Dao heart wavering.

In the Primordial Wilderness, one bearing great merit was favored by the Heavenly Dao. To harm them, or even show slight disrespect, could invite divine punishment.

Seeing the golden light too intense, Lu Changqing willed it away, retracting all the wheels.

When the light faded, Kunpeng still felt dizzy, asking in shock, "Who exactly are you, sir? How could you..."

Before he could finish, Lu Changqing flashed a mocking look.

His eyes were like those of someone looking at a frog at the bottom of a well.

"This counts as great merit?"

He casually pulled out over a dozen acquired merit spiritual treasures, his tone as dismissive as discussing roadside weeds. "Such ordinary trinkets, and you make a fuss?"

Everyone knew Kunpeng, despite being a Quasi-Saint, was notoriously poor.

Now, seeing the merit supreme treasures casually displayed, his jealousy twisted his Dao heart nearly to breaking.

Che Qi stared at those treasures, his eyes bloodshot.

The two couldn't fathom it—just who was Lu Changqing? The merit power others begged for was like dirt in his hands!

As they reeled in shock, Lu Changqing added nonchalantly, "If we're talking innate-grade..."

Before the words ended, a banner swirling with chaotic aura appeared in his hand.

The moment the Top-Grade Innate Merit Spiritual Treasure, the Tai Xu Creation Banner, manifested, the entire world seemed to freeze.

Kunpeng breathed heavily, veins bulging in his eyes, barely restraining the urge to seize it.

But Che Qi's last shred of reason finally snapped.

"To hell with the Heavenly Dao's protection! Today, I, Che Qi, will defy heaven itself!"

"No!" Kunpeng shouted urgently.

But Che Qi had already unleashed his peak Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal power, a killing strike aimed straight at Lu Changqing's vital point.

The moment he acted, thunder and wind erupted from the Nine Heavens.

Tribulation clouds, containing the origins of three thousand great Daos, rolled in, and the River of Destiny manifested in the void.

Boom—!

A bolt of Purple Firmament Divine Lightning, wrapped in the Law of Destiny, struck down from the sky. Che Qi didn't even have time to scream before he turned to ash, scattering into the river of time.

Kunpeng turned away, unable to bear the sight.

"That fool dared to attack a Merit Incarnation?"

Lu Changqing shook his head at the scorched earth. "Risking your life for an Innate Spiritual Treasure—was it really worth it?"

Nine thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine Merit Golden Wheels adorned his form... Kunpeng murmured to himself.

A figure like this—let alone him, even a Sage would yield three points of courtesy.

As he calculated inwardly, Kunpeng suddenly plastered on a smile: "Fellow Daoist, the earlier matter was all a misunderstanding!"

Seeing him flip his face like turning a page, Lu Changqing had a sudden whimsical thought: They say Kunpeng's escape speed is unmatched in the Primordial Wilderness—taking him as a mount wouldn't be bad. "Though I'm about to squander millions of billions of merit, what's the harm in finding some fun along the way?"

At this moment, Kunpeng paid no heed to Lu Changqing's indifference, still greeting him with a smiling face: "I am the Demon Master Kunpeng. May I ask your esteemed name, Fellow Daoist?"

Lu Changqing, still mulling over the mount's compensation, answered offhandedly: "Lu Changqing." Then he immediately consulted the system: System, look—Kunpeng is the Teacher of Ten Thousand Demons and a Late Quasi-Saint. With such status as a mount, an annual salary of a million merit isn't too much, right?

The system replied coldly: "Assessment shows the amount is too high. Please do not make things difficult for the system."

Lu Changqing grumbled discontentedly: Stingy! A dignified Quasi-Saint like Kunpeng—what's wrong with giving him a million or ten million annual salary? But the system gave no further response.

Meanwhile, Kunpeng had already cast aside all thoughts of seizing the treasure, eagerly sidling closer: "So it's Fellow Daoist Changqing! Seeing your deep fortune and blessings, you are truly a pillar of the Primordial Wilderness."

"Why not join my Demon Clan as the Merit Great Sage, commanding billions of demon troops—wouldn't that be splendid?"

Seeing Lu Changqing turn a deaf ear, Kunpeng was about to persuade him again, but Lu Changqing waved him off: "Listen to me."

"Your cultivation is impressive, and your speed is the pinnacle of the Primordial Wilderness—how about becoming my mount? I'll give you ten thousand merit every thousand years. What do you think of that offer?"

Since the system hadn't given a specific amount, Lu Changqing could only probe slowly.

Kunpeng flew into a rage at these words, as if suffering a great humiliation: "Fellow Daoist Changqing, I treat you like a brother, and you insult me like this?"

Lu Changqing was unfazed.

In his view, there was no deal that couldn't be struck, only prices that weren't right.

He tentatively produced a cloud of a hundred thousand merit: "Then how about a hundred thousand merit every thousand years?"

Seeing this Merit Golden Cloud, Kunpeng's Adam's apple bobbed, and his breathing grew rapid.

His remaining dignity made him still insist on refusal: "What does Fellow Daoist mean by this? Am I, the Demon Master Kunpeng, that kind of person?"

This refusal was clearly lacking conviction—Kunpeng's eyes were fixed on the merit cloud, even turning slightly red.

Seeing this, Lu Changqing unhesitatingly produced another cloud of nine hundred thousand merit: "Not enough? Then a million merit every thousand years."

With a million merit on the table, Kunpeng's reason shattered instantly.

He immediately prostrated himself, revealing his shrunk true form, and flattered: "Great Master, where are we going now?"

Faced with Kunpeng's speed of changing faces, Lu Changqing couldn't help but marvel.

This wasn't Kunpeng's lack of backbone—it was simply that the reward was too generous.

A million merit every thousand years—back then, Nuwa only earned a few tens of millions of merit for creating humanity, and he could earn that much by being a mount for just a few tens of thousands of years.

A few tens of thousands of years was nothing more than a nap to a Primordial Wilderness being.

Thinking this, Kunpeng beamed with a sycophantic smile: "Great Master, isn't a thousand-year term too short? How about a straight fifty-thousand-year contract?"

Lu Changqing was quite satisfied with Kunpeng's attitude.

The two immediately swore a Heavenly Dao Oath.

After the contract was sealed, Kunpeng gradually regained his composure.

Though he didn't mind being a mount—the reward was too tempting—he was still the Teacher of Ten Thousand Demons and needed to go back and explain.

"Great Master, as the Teacher of Ten Thousand Demons, I suddenly leave the Demon Court—I ought to go and inform them."

"Would the Great Master be willing to accompany me?" Kunpeng asked with a fawning smile.

Lu Changqing was in a good mood and had nothing pressing to do, so he nodded in agreement: "Very well!"

With permission granted, Kunpeng thanked him repeatedly, then carried him off toward the Demon Clan Heavenly Court.