Even More Worrying

What worried him even more was that Wuji Heaven did not even have a mountain-protecting grand formation... It truly left him unable to eat or sleep in peace.

Kong Xuan lowered his head upon hearing this. "I will certainly cultivate the Hunyuan Great Dao diligently and swear to defend our Daoist field unto death."

Lu Changqing flicked his sleeve. "So be it."

Without a mountain-protecting grand formation to uphold appearances, the place ultimately seemed rather shabby.

Yuanshi's eyelids twitched violently.

Shabby?

Looking across the entire Primordial Wilderness, whose Sage Daoist field was grander than Wuji Heaven?

Moreover, five Hunyuan beings were stationed here!

Even the Three Pure Ones would not dare behave rashly in this place.

A mountain-protecting grand formation was completely unnecessary!

Then, when he heard Lu Changqing mention alchemy, Yuanshi's scalp went numb.

Something was terribly wrong...

Could this fellow be planning to trick Laozi and Tongtian into coming here as laborers too?!

"Fellow Daoist Changqing,"

Yuanshi said with a forced smile, "a mountain-protecting grand formation really would be superfluous."

"Looking across the Primordial Wilderness, who would dare cause trouble in Wuji Heaven?"

Yet Lu Changqing remained deeply troubled. "Alas, you do not understand, Fellow Daoist."

"A mountain-protecting grand formation concerns one's reputation. It is indispensable!"

"Tell me, which Sage's Daoist field lacks a grand formation?"

Yuanshi grumbled inwardly.

Other places set up formations because each Sage was alone.

Should they leave their Daoist field, unforeseen changes might arise.

But there were five Hunyuan beings here!

What was there to fear?

Which blind fool would dare court disaster here?

Yuanshi suddenly had an inspiration. Narrowing his eyes, he said, "Fellow Daoist Changqing, you could not possibly... simply want to squander merit, could you?"

He fixed his gaze on Lu Changqing's expression, already certain in his heart.

This show-off definitely thought he had too much merit.

He was finding roundabout ways to waste it!

Otherwise, why would he suddenly want to set up formations and refine pills?

Lu Changqing was deeply moved. Taking Yuanshi's hand, he sighed, "True friends are hard to find. Only Fellow Daoist Yuanshi understands me!"

Yuanshi: ...

I actually guessed right?!

Outrageous!

This fellow squandered recklessly, yet the more he spent, the more merit he gained?

Meanwhile, poor Sages like us...

How unfair the Heavenly Dao was!

Then he reconsidered. The Heavenly Dao even called him brother.

It was practically no different from having the Heavenly Dao as his own father.

Lu Changqing immediately sent messages to Laozi and Tongtian.

He falsely claimed that he had an earth-shaking matter to discuss with them.

By the East Sea.

Tongtian was leading the immortals of the Interception Sect in expanding the borders of the Primordial Wilderness.

After years of work, their territory had expanded by more than thirty percent.

This filled him with boundless enthusiasm.

Keep expanding!

Claim more land!

When the time came, the Interception Sect's providence would surely soar!

Then he suddenly received Lu Changqing's urgent summons:

"Fellow Daoist Tongtian, come at once! Wuji Heaven is in danger!!"

Tongtian was greatly alarmed.

If even Lu Changqing called it a crisis,

then it had to be a catastrophe capable of toppling the heavens!

He immediately shouted to Duobao and the others, "I will return shortly. Do not slack off!"

Duobao thumped his chest in assurance.

"Rest easy, Master!"

"We will certainly give it our all."

As Tongtian vanished into the void, he inexplicably felt:

Why did this feel like he was working for someone?

An illusion!

How could working for someone come with the wonderful benefit of earning merit?

Inside the Eight Sceneries Palace.

Laozi was brewing tea and discussing the Dao.

When he received the message, he was so startled that his teacup overturned.

He hurriedly tore through the void and rushed toward Wuji Heaven.

Two streaks of holy light tore across the heavens.

Laozi and Tongtian arrived together.

"What exactly happened?!"

Tongtian's voice arrived before he did.

The moment the two stepped into the main hall,

they froze in utter shock—

Yuanshi was buried amid a pile of magical treasures.

Mountains of artifact-refining materials had been piled around him!

Those... were all newly refined magical treasures?!

How many Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures would that consume?!

The two exchanged glances.

They had been urgently summoned here.

Could it be that they were needed to help refine artifacts?

But neither of them was skilled at it!

Looking around the hall again,

where was this supposed crisis?

Laozi's expression turned subtle.

No wonder Yuanshi had disappeared these past few years.

He had been quietly getting rich here.

But this mountain of materials before them

would probably take a thousand years to refine completely!

Tongtian was even more dumbfounded.

No wonder Yuanshi was never around when they expanded territory.

So he had been working here as a laborer?

Looking more closely at those Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures,

every single one was a supreme treasure of the Primordial Wilderness!

Just how deep were their reserves?!

The golden river of merit flowing beside them

contained no less than ten million portions!

Could all of it be Lu Changqing's personal property?

Good heavens...

Even if the Sages of the three sects emptied their coffers,

they would not equal even a fraction of this treasure mountain!

Laozi looked at the busy Yuanshi and frowned. "Junior Brother, why are you here tinkering with these artifacts?"

"Doing this truly damages your standing."

"How much merit can refining magical treasures possibly earn?"

"You would be better off opening a new heaven with me, or reclaiming wasteland!"

Tongtian nodded in agreement. "Eldest Brother is right. Artifact refinement will ultimately never amount to much."

"Why not join us in creating a world instead?"

For Sages, world creation was the quickest path to accumulating merit.

Even settling for something lesser, the merit gained from reclaiming wasteland far surpassed artifact refinement.

Yet upon hearing their advice, Yuanshi wore a rather amused expression.

They wanted him to reclaim wasteland or create worlds?

It was utterly ridiculous!

The merit he earned through devoted artifact refinement exceeded that from such crude work by hundreds or thousands of times.

"Eldest Brother, listen to me..."

Just as Yuanshi was about to explain, Laozi waved his hand in anguish. "Say no more!"

"Your elder brother knows your hardships!"

"But if you work this hard refining artifacts, when will you ever accumulate enough merit?"

"Listen to my advice. The path of artifact refinement is deep and unfathomable; it is not something you can control!"

"Only world creation is the proper path!"

Laozi earnestly tried to persuade him, hoping Yuanshi would return from his misguided path.

Lu Changqing, standing nearby, frowned tightly as he listened.

He had not expected Laozi to be so long-winded.

He gave a light cough. "Fellow Daoists, I invited you here today because I truly have an important matter to ask of you."

Only then did Laozi fall silent, though he still looked at Yuanshi with regret, making Yuanshi feel stifled.

"Please speak freely, Fellow Daoist!"

Laozi said with cupped hands.

Tongtian also asked, "What urgent matter is it?"

The two had thought the situation was dire, yet Wuji Heaven was utterly peaceful.

Lu Changqing said calmly, "To be honest."

"The Spiritual Roots and treasures in my residence have piled up like mountains. It would be a pity to discard them."

"I wish to refine them into pills and make full use of them."

Laozi was overjoyed upon hearing this. "Fellow Daoist, you truly have keen judgment!"

"When it comes to the Dao of alchemy, no one in the Primordial Wilderness can surpass me!"

"If I call myself second, who would dare call himself first?"

Lu Changqing raised an eyebrow. "How profound is your mastery of alchemy, Fellow Daoist?"

Laozi proudly replied, "It has reached the pinnacle!"

"How exactly?"

Laozi gestured with both hands. "Approximately this level!"

Lu Changqing fell silent.

"Do you find that amusing?"

His expression abruptly turned cold.

Behind him, King Father of the East and the others immediately erupted with overwhelming auras.

Laozi hurriedly forced a smile. "It was only a joke!"

"Just trying to lighten the mood."

Lu Changqing said bluntly, "Seventy million merit."

"Refine every usable item into pills."

Laozi's body trembled.

Seventy million merit!

What a staggering offer!

"Leave it to me!"

Then he hesitated. "But... is that not too generous?"

Lu Changqing said, "There are many things that need refining."

Laozi laughed heartily. "You underestimate me, Fellow Daoist!"

"How many pills could there possibly be?"

Seeing his confidence, Lu Changqing gave a slight nod.

He turned to King Father of the East and the other two. "Go fetch the spiritual materials."

Before long, the three of them returned, each carrying a colossal mountain of spiritual fruits.

Amid thunderous booms, the three treasure mountains crashed to the ground.

Laozi and Tongtian stood dumbfounded.

Innate spiritual fruits, Three Lights Divine Water, and other rare treasures were piled within the mountains like towering peaks.

Only then did Laozi understand the sheer scale involved.

If all of it were refined into pills, there would likely be hundreds of thousands!

Such reserves were truly horrifying.

Tongtian also came to a realization—no wonder Yuanshi was so obsessed with artifact refinement.

"Though the quantity is immense, Fellow Daoist may rest assured!"

"For the sake of our friendship..."

King Father of the East and the others sneered inwardly.

Friendship?

He clearly coveted the merit!

At that moment, Yuanshi said leisurely, "Senior Brother, pill refinement is probably not proper work."

"Why not forget it?"

Laozi's expression immediately darkened.

What a Yuanshi!

He was actually trying to ruin things!

Yet Lu Changqing said, "There is indeed something inappropriate about this."

"Fellow Daoist Laozi is the foremost Sage beneath Hongjun..."

Laozi's heart tightened with anxiety.

"It's no trouble! Fellow Daoist's affairs are my affairs!"

His words were incomparably sincere.

Lu Changqing shook his head. "No."

"I'll add another ten million, making it eighty million merit in total."

Laozi had thought the other party meant to haggle the price down, but upon hearing this, he froze.

Again?

Lu Changqing's habit of reverse bargaining!

Sure enough, he was still the same as ever.

Tongtian and Yuanshi exchanged glances.

This way of haggling was truly baffling.

"This is the familiar flavor, the familiar formula."

King Father of the East and the other two held back their laughter, yet they still could not see through this maneuver.

Forget it.

If they could understand him, would he still be the Great Master?

"Fellow Daoist, rest assured, leave it to me!"

Laozi immediately agreed.

What kind of joke was this!

He was being given an entire extra ten million merit!

A full eighty million!

If he did not agree at once, would that not be a tremendous loss?

Besides, who would ever complain about having too much merit?

He was already at the Hunyuan Great Luo Golden Immortal Ninth Heaven. If he accumulated more merit, perhaps he might someday attain the Hunyuan Limitless Great Luo Golden Immortal.

At that thought, Laozi's heart burned with excitement.

At the same time, a thought arose in his mind: following Lu Changqing would never leave him at a loss.

He directly sent a divine-sense transmission to his two disciples and opened a spatial passage.

He pulled out Master Xuandu and True Person Du'e, who had yet to react.

"Get to work!"

"Leave the simpler pills to you."

After Laozi gave his instructions, Xuan Du and True Person Du'e immediately got busy.

Naturally, he wanted to seek some opportunity for his disciples.

Perhaps if Lu Changqing was pleased, he might even give them some extra merit!

The three of them began refining pills with great enthusiasm.

Spiritual Roots and spiritual fruits were tossed into the pill furnaces one after another.

Yuanshi stood beside them. Seeing that Laozi had even called his disciples over to help, he teased:

"Senior Brother, it is one thing for you to neglect proper work yourself, but why drag your disciples into it too?"

"Are you not planning to cultivate anymore?"

Laozi knew Yuanshi was teasing him and replied without changing expression:

"No one will think you are mute if you do not speak."

What kind of joke was this!

This was serious business. Besides, what was shameful about earning merit?

One refined artifacts, and the other refined pills. Both were thriving at their work.

Only Tongtian remained standing there **.

"So you all went off to earn merit. What am I supposed to **?!"

Wuji Heaven.

Watching Laozi and Yuanshi bustle about with great enjoyment,

Tongtian stood there alone, looking utterly bewildered.

The three of them had come together, so was he the only one with nothing to do?

Then why had they called him here?

"Fellow Daoist Changqing, there is nothing for me to do here, right?"

"Then why did you call me here?"

Tongtian asked gloomily.

Surely they had not brought him here just to watch the excitement?

That could not be it, could it?

Lu Changqing smiled. "Of course I have something to trouble Fellow Daoist with, and no one but you can do it!"

Hearing this, Tongtian's eyes immediately lit up.

So my assignment was this important?

Then the merit must be considerable too, right?

"Fellow Daoist, just give the order. Leave it to me!"

Tongtian thumped his chest in assurance.

Lu Changqing nodded. "I feel that Wuji Heaven is not secure enough."

"I am worried someone may come to attack. To be safe, I would like to ask Fellow Daoist Tongtian to set up a mountain-protecting grand formation."

"The stronger, the better. There is no shortage of materials."

Upon hearing this, Tongtian was completely dumbfounded.

What did you say?

Listen to yourself!

There were so many Sages in Wuji Heaven, and he was saying it was not safe?

This place was even safer than the Dao Ancestor's Purple Cloud Palace!

If this place was not safe, then there was nowhere safe in the Primordial Wilderness!

Was he not showing off a little too much?

Even Yuanshi and Laozi could not bear to listen any longer. They were completely speechless.

Wuji Heaven was not safe?

Saying that was purely to make fools of them!

Not only could the Three Pure Ones not accept it, even King Father of the East and the other two were stunned.

Wuji Heaven was not safe?

That was simply the greatest joke in the world!

Wuji Heaven's current status in the Primordial Wilderness was comparable to the Heavenly Dao.

Supreme and unrivaled!

With so many Sages stationed here, along with Lu Changqing, the foremost figure of the Primordial Wilderness,

even Hongjun would have no way to touch Wuji Heaven.

Because the Heavenly Dao would be the first to refuse!

So how could Wuji Heaven possibly be unsafe?

Tongtian looked helplessly at Lu Changqing. "Fellow Daoist, I, Tongtian, may be straightforward, but please do not insult my intelligence."

"Can you tell the truth?"

Yuanshi and Laozi also cast questioning looks at him.

This excuse was far too absurd!

They did not believe it at all.

Who in the Primordial Wilderness would believe such words?

Unless that person was a fool!