Sixty-Five Million Merits

Sixty-five million merits!

He had known Lu Changqing was generous, but he had never expected him to be this lavish?!

After ten thousand years of arduous cultivation, when had he ever accumulated such an ocean of merit?

No wonder the Six Saints had rushed to exchange for spiritual treasures and open up worlds.

This ** was truly impossible to resist!

When the vast Merit Golden Clouds were all drawn into his sleeve, Dao Ancestor Hongjun was overwhelmed with mixed emotions.

In the end... he still had not managed to hold fast to his Dao heart.

But who could he blame? If blame was to be assigned, it could only be because merit was simply too tempting.

Faced with such boundless merit, no one could remain calm.

With this assistance, breaking through his shackles was just around the corner.

"You two did well."

"This one million merits shall serve as cultivation resources."

Having suddenly obtained such an immense amount of merit, even Hongjun felt a few emotions stir within him.

With a flick of his sleeve, he bestowed one million merits upon Hao Tian and Yao Chi each.

His brows were filled with a relaxed smile.

There was likely no second master in the Primordial Wilderness as generous as this.

Hao Tian and Yao Chi were both shocked and delighted. They had merely delivered a message, yet they had received such generous rewards.

They hurriedly bowed. "Thank you, Master, for your grace!"

"** shall certainly cultivate diligently and live up to Master's high expectations!"

Hongjun gave a slight nod, signaling for the two to withdraw.

He immediately felt exceedingly pleased.

So being generous with one's gifts was this enjoyable. At last, he understood Lu Changqing's pleasure.

If that fellow were here, he would probably laugh at him for being stingy. Why not reward each of them with ten million merits?

Within Wuji Heaven.

Lu Changqing played with the Sword of Destruction in his hand, feeling that the color of its blade was not quite to his liking.

"The color is lacking somewhat. It needs to be reforged."

He muttered softly.

Kong Xuan, standing nearby, clicked his tongue inwardly at the words.

"Master, this is already a Chaos Spiritual Treasure. Why care whether it looks good or not?"

"Isn't its unmatched power enough?"

Then he watched in utter disbelief as Lu Changqing took out an immense amount of merit—its scale was practically limitless.

Buzz!

Golden Light of Merit surged toward the Sword of Destruction like a tide, beginning to reshape the sword's body.

As he refined it, Lu Changqing said leisurely, "I have always favored treasures of slaughter... Even when hanging there, they must be pleasing to the eye."

Kong Xuan was completely speechless.

"Master, using merit to reforge a spiritual treasure, isn't that... too extravagant?"

He could clearly nourish it slowly with mana, so why insist on squandering merit?

This was practically pouring merit over a Chaos Spiritual Treasure and recasting it from scratch.

How was this artifact refinement? It was simply a waste of Heaven's gifts!

The sight made his heart tremble.

Yet Lu Changqing said calmly, "Your experience is still too shallow. You do not understand."

"If merit can solve something, why bother doing it yourself?"

Kong Xuan had no reply.

Master's words... were actually impossible to refute!

Extravagant—truly extravagantly extravagant!

Well, merits were his. He could use them however he pleased.

After being tempered by merit, dark golden patterns emerged across the Sword of Destruction, all manifestations of merit.

Its appearance alone showed that it contained immeasurable power of merit.

Lu Changqing then took out the Innate Spiritual Root, the Five-Needle Pine, and examined it closely.

Turning a Spiritual Root into a magic treasure involved many considerations.

The choice of materials and the engraving of restrictions both affected the finished treasure's power.

"Master, are you going to refine a magic treasure?"

Kong Xuan asked curiously.

He had no idea how skilled Lu Changqing was at artifact refinement. In any case, he himself knew nothing about it.

He might still dare try refining a Postnatal Spiritual Treasure, but this was a Top-grade Innate Spiritual Root—he did not even dare imagine it.

But Lu Changqing said, "I know a little, but why should I do it myself?"

Having said that, he directly transmitted his voice:

"Fellow Daoist Yuanshi, the situation is urgent. Come to Wuji Heaven at once!"

In the Primordial Wilderness, Yuanshi was unrivaled in artifact refinement.

For such an important matter, no one else would do.

Yuanshi had been opening up a world. Upon hearing that it was extremely urgent, he immediately set aside what he was doing.

Rumble!

A spatial passage suddenly appeared, and in the blink of an eye, he had arrived in Wuji Heaven.

"Fellow Daoist Changqing, what happened?"

Yuanshi asked hurriedly.

For Lu Changqing to call something urgent, it had to be no trivial matter!

Lu Changqing tossed the Five-Needle Pine to Yuanshi. "I'll have to trouble you to refine this into a magic treasure."

"What?!"

Yuanshi froze for a moment, then anger rose within him.

"Absurd!"

"This is what you call extremely urgent?"

"Are you deliberately toying with me?"

"Fellow Daoist Changqing! Why is such a trivial matter so urgent? Are you making a joke of me?"

Yuanshi flew into a rage, his Saintly Might vast and surging.

Seeing this, Lu Changqing slowly raised five fingers.

"The payment is five million merits."

Boom—

Yuanshi's fury instantly subsided.

He silently accepted the Five-Needle Pine and said solemnly, "Since it is Fellow Daoist's request, I shall naturally do my utmost."

"Fellow Daoist truly has discerning eyes."

"In the Primordial Wilderness's path of artifact refinement, I claim second place, and no one dares claim first!"

"What form does Fellow Daoist wish to refine it into? Please speak freely!"

Yuanshi spoke with absolute certainty.

Kong Xuan, watching this sudden change of face, was completely dumbfounded.

Worthy of a Sage!

This speed of emotional transformation had reached the pinnacle.

If he had to judge it, he would definitely give Yuanshi full marks—his acting was utterly natural, his emotions perfectly controlled, and even his micro-expressions were exquisitely handled.

Impressive!

Truly worthy of a Sage!

Lu Changqing pondered briefly. Unable to think of what to refine it into, he simply waved his sleeve, and a thousand rare treasures instantly appeared in the void.

Chaos Immortal Gold, Hunyuan Spirit Jade, Tiangang Divine Thunder Stone...

They were all top-grade refining materials rarely seen in the Primordial Wilderness.

Yuanshi was dazzled.

Even he, a Sage famed for artifact refinement, had never seen so many peerless materials all at once.

For an ordinary Sage, gathering even one-tenth of them would be difficult, yet Lu Changqing produced them as casually as if they were nothing.

Just how deep were his reserves?

Damned rich bastard! Bah!

As Yuanshi grumbled inwardly, Lu Changqing waved his sleeve again, and tens of millions of rays of Golden Light of Merit burst forth, so resplendent that they were impossible to look at directly.

"The materials and merits are all here. Fellow Daoist may use them as you please."

"There is no need to be frugal."

Lu Changqing spoke as casually as ever.

To him, mere materials for artifact refinement were nothing more than a drop in the bucket.

Yuanshi sighed inwardly. Sorry, it was I who lacked vision.

He carefully selected the rare materials and began refining the magic treasure.

With the power of a Hunyuan Sage, he smelted all things and flawlessly integrated countless Dao rhythms into the artifact.

Every step of the process was meticulous.

Kong Xuan watched without blinking—was a Sage's control over the Great Dao truly this exquisite?

It seemed that only after attaining Hunyuan could one truly comprehend the mysteries of the Heavenly Dao.

He too had to cultivate diligently and strive to become Wuji Heaven's fifth Sage.

With the support of Dao rhythms, Yuanshi took only a hundred years to refine the Five-Needle Pine into an artifact.

Lu Changqing took the magic treasure and casually waved it—

The laws of space shattered in response, its might shaking Heaven and earth.

"Very good!"

"Its power is extraordinary."

Lu Changqing nodded approvingly.

Because the power of merit had been integrated into it, the magic treasure now possessed forty-eight restrictions, only one step away from becoming a Primordial Supreme Treasure.

Yuanshi's attainments in artifact refinement had indeed reached the pinnacle.

"Fellow Daoist truly deserves to be called the Primordial Wilderness's foremost grandmaster of artifact refinement."

"The power of this treasure deeply satisfies me."

Pride was impossible to hide from Yuanshi's face.

Of course! If he claimed second, who would dare claim first?

This was what a true expert looked like.

Sage-level professional standards!

"Hmph!"

"Look how proud he is!"

After composing himself, Yuanshi said seriously, "Fellow Daoist Changqing, there is one more matter I wish to ask about!"

Lu Changqing said calmly, "Please speak."

Yuanshi beamed. "Does Fellow Daoist have any other Spiritual Roots that need refining?"

He was purely offering a helping hand!

If there was any need, he only had to ask!

Kong Xuan stared blankly from the side.

That was not what he had said earlier!

This speed of changing faces...

Worthy of a Sage—his performance was flawless!

Impressive!

I still have much to learn!

Within Wuji Heaven.

Kong Xuan sighed inwardly.

Even Lu Changqing could not help but praise him.

Worthy of a Sage!

He was actually so warmhearted and righteous!

Refusing again would only disappoint such goodwill.

Thus, he said, "Little Kong, go bring the Spiritual Roots."

Kong Xuan accepted the order and hurried out.

He returned shortly afterward. As his storage space opened, two thousand Spiritual Roots appeared before them!

Among them were one hundred Innate Spiritual Roots and three Top-grade Innate Spiritual Roots.

The various Spiritual Roots each possessed different effects. Some aided enlightenment, some increased cultivation, and some tempered the body.

Within Lu Changqing's spiritual garden, there were even more Spiritual Roots suitable for artifact refinement than could be counted.

Every one of those before them could be refined into a magic treasure!

Seeing so many artifact-refining materials, Yuanshi froze on the spot.

Good heavens!

There were actually this many Spiritual Roots!

And they were all top-grade goods! If the ones that could not be refined were included, would there not be even more?

Now this was true extravagance!

Compared to this, he was practically like a beggar seeing **!

There was no comparison!

There truly was no comparison!

Among the several Sages, Yuanshi was already considered quite well-off.

After all, he had attained the Dao through artifacts, so he naturally possessed no shortage of Dharma treasures.

Sigh, better not mention it.

Who told him he did not have that much merit?

But to be able to produce so many Spiritual Roots, just how many treasures had Lu Changqing collected?

"Fellow Daoist, your estate is truly awe-inspiring!"

Yuanshi sighed from the bottom of his heart.

Then he began to worry again.

Two thousand Spiritual Roots—Acquired Spiritual Roots were easy enough to handle.

But compared to the time required, he cared more about the payment.

Who did not know that Lu Changqing was generous with his spending?!

The payment for two thousand Spiritual Roots would surely be astounding!

Lu Changqing also considered it before saying, "Refine them all into Dharma treasures. The payment will be fifty million merit."

Before Yuanshi could react, he waved his hand and presented an object—

It was actually a treasure mountain piled entirely from Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures!

Staring at the treasure mountain, Yuanshi became completely dumbfounded.

Heavens!

How many ** rare treasures did this take?!

This was the first time in his life he had seen treasures piled into a mountain!

Just how vast was your collection, for it to be piled into mountains?!

Even when treasures were distributed at Treasure Rock back then, there had never been such a spectacle!

Compared to it, those fifty million merits—

Actually seemed rather ordinary.

After all, he had seen Lu Changqing casually spend hundreds of millions before.

But this treasure mountain truly struck straight at his heart.

Kong Xuan stood quietly to one side, watching the Sage lose his composure like this.

He secretly felt pleased.

A sense of pride rose within him.

Look!

This was the foundation of his master's wealth!

Even a Sage had been stunned, hadn't he?!

He loved seeing Sages look like this most of all!

Back when he first saw the treasure mountain, he had been a hundred times more shocked than Yuanshi.

Yet this was merely a tiny fraction of his master's wealth.

There were probably several similar treasure mountains!

Lu Changqing estimated that the resources on this mountain should be enough.

After all, they only needed to sustain two thousand Spiritual Roots.

Next came the allocation of merit.

With so many Dharma treasures, how much merit should he invest?

After a brief consideration, he directly took out fifty million merit.

Buzz—

Golden light blazed brilliantly, illuminating the hall.

Yuanshi narrowed his eyes, inwardly shocked. What lavishness!

He had casually produced fifty million merit?!

"Fifty million merit shall serve as the funds for artifact refinement."

Lu Changqing said sincerely, "Although I can only use around one hundred and eighty million merit, it should barely be enough."

"Fellow Daoist Yuanshi, I will leave this matter to you."

His words were earnest and heartfelt.

Yet Yuanshi's palm trembled slightly upon hearing them—

Not from being moved, but from anger.

Listen to what he was saying!

It was simply outrageously arrogant!

Yuanshi gritted his teeth. "Fellow Daoist!

Has no one ever told you that you are far too ostentatious when you speak?!"

Lu Changqing sighed helplessly.

"Sigh, the troubles of having too much merit are difficult for ordinary people to understand."

"I am merely speaking the truth."

Speaking the truth?

It was precisely because it was the truth that it was even more infuriating!

Comparisons between people could drive one to death from anger!

No, the more he thought about it, the more furious he became...

I am a Primordial Sage. How can I lose my composure? I absolutely cannot let this brat gloat any further.

Otherwise, he feared he would be angered to death alive.

After forcibly suppressing his rage, Yuanshi said no more,

And focused on activating his artifact-refining technique.

Golden Light of Merit in his left hand, Innate Spiritual Roots in his right,

Once the fusion was complete, he began forging Dharma treasures.

Two thousand Spiritual Roots were piled up like a mountain; the task was vast beyond measure.

It took Yuanshi a full two hundred years before he had barely completed half of them.

Lu Changqing watched with his hands behind his back when a thought suddenly struck him.

Since Spiritual Roots could be used to refine artifacts, why not use them to concoct pills?

Moreover, Wuji Heaven still lacked a proper grand formation for protection,

And he had always felt that was not secure enough.

He sighed softly. "I still have quite a few Spiritual Roots for pill refinement in my inventory."