This Isn't Bitter

Isn't this much more comfortable than arduous cultivation?

As Lu Changqing was thinking, suddenly—

A vast saintly might swept across heaven and earth.

The moment the saintly might surged through the Primordial World, Purple qi from the east stretched for tens of millions of miles, Auspicious clouds churned in the nine heavens, and billions of rays of auspicious light descended.

Rosy clouds poured down like a waterfall, illuminating the nine heavens and ten earths.

The profound mysteries of the Great Dao flowed through the universe, the ninety-nine returning to one.

The River of Time flickered in the clouds.

A brilliant divine light tore through the firmament.

Amidst the ten thousand feet of rosy clouds, auspicious qi churned ceaselessly.

Heaven and earth laws vibrated in all directions, Golden lotuses bloomed and withered, cycling endlessly.

Though the saint's true form was unseen, their vast pressure enveloped the universe, Causing all beings in the myriad realms to tremble.

It was a Saint breaking through!

Witnessing the dramatic celestial phenomenon, Ran Deng exclaimed involuntarily.

For every step a Saint takes forward, They must endure ten thousand tribulations.

Such a spectacle is indeed extraordinary."

Lu Changqing looked up at the myriad auspicious signs in the sky, Musing to himself.

Though it might not compare to his own future achievements, This phenomenon far surpassed the scope of a Quasi-Saint.

Kunpeng gazed at the wondrous sights across the heavens:

I wonder which of the Six Saints seized this opportunity?

As the saintly might shook the Primordial World, All living beings looked up at the sky.

However, the affairs of Saints are profound and unfathomable, So all beings could only speculate in their hearts.

Such a commotion naturally alerted the other five Saints.

Within Biyou Palace on Jin'ao Island, Sect Master Tongtian awoke from his meditation.

After deducing the heavenly secrets, his eyes widened in surprise:

Has my senior brother Yuanshi broken through?

He and Yuanshi are both at the third heaven realm.

This breakthrough must have come with a great opportunity.

I must go to Kunlun to investigate."

Within the Eight Sceneries Palace on Shouyang Mountain, The serene and detached Grand Pure One Laozi was also alarmed.

After investigating the cause, He immediately instructed Xuandu:

I am going to Kunlun; you shall guard the dojo."

In Wa Huang Palace and the Western Pure Land, Although Nuwa and Jieyin and Zhunti did not personally arrive, They both focused their attention on the movements of Kunlun, Wishing to glimpse the profound mysteries of the breakthrough.

Within the Jade Void Palace on Kunlun Mountain, The number forty-nine

The Three Pure Ones, who hadn't gathered in a long time, were reunited.

After congratulating Yuanshi on his breakthrough, The Grand Pure One Laozi asked first:

"Junior Brother Yuanshi, did you encounter any fortuitous encounters during this breakthrough?"

Tongtian also cast a questioning glance.

Yuanshi replied with a smile:

"Indeed, there was an opportunity."

Seeing their anticipation, Yuanshi added:

"Do you still remember that person favored by the Heavenly Dao?"

Although he could have directly explained the reason, Yuanshi did not wish to mention Lu Changqing's affairs further.

Tongtian and Laozi understood each other implicitly, and immediately realized the opportunity came from Wuji Heaven.

Recalling the recent anomalies in the Primordial World, Laozi suddenly realized:

"So it was Fellow Daoist Changqing's doing!"

All the Saints had long known Lu Changqing was extraordinary, but they never expected his Merit could help a Saint break through.

Tongtian exclaimed:

"What is this Fellow Daoist's background?"

Yuanshi shook his head:

"His origins are unfathomable, but he is definitely not ordinary."

Recalling Lu Changqing's generous distribution of Merit, Yuanshi sighed with emotion:

"He is truly the most generous person in the Primordial World!"

All the Saints were filled with emotion upon hearing this.

At this moment, the Two Saints of the West and Nuwa also arrived at Kunlun.

After learning the reason, all the Saints sighed:

"Who would have thought Wuji Heaven held such an opportunity!"

The Two Saints of the West recalled past events, and Zhunti suddenly said:

"You all might be thinking too highly of this child!"

Jieyin agreed:

"A mere Quasi-Saint, how much Merit could he possibly have?"

The Saints understood, and all smiled without speaking.

After some idle talk, the Saints dispersed, each with their own thoughts.

Yuanshi immediately summoned Guangchengzi:

"Fetch the magic treasures I have refined!"

Guangchengzi was confused:

"Master, didn't you say you wouldn't take shortcuts?"

Yuanshi said sternly:

"I have my own uses for them."

He thought to himself:

"With an opportunity at hand, why take a detour?"

Meanwhile, Laozi, who had returned to Biyou Palace, also brought out the elixirs he had refined over the years.

The Grand Pure One Laozi was puzzled:

"Master, why the rush?"

Laozi did not explain, only saying:

"Stay and guard the dojo, I am going to Wuji Heaven for a visit."

He then quietly departed, without alerting anyone.

Saints ultimately had to maintain their dignity; if the beings of the Primordial World knew they were also exchanging Merit, wouldn't they become a laughingstock?

He quietly arrived outside Wuji Heaven, only to encounter Primordial Heavenly Venerate Yuanshi, who was also concealing his presence.

The two senior brothers' eyes met, and they both froze, the atmosphere instantly becoming awkward.

But they understood each other, exchanged a knowing smile, and tacitly ignored their previous pronouncements that shortcuts were not the righteous path.

Primordial Heavenly Venerate Yuanshi spoke first: "What a coincidence, Brother, are you also here in Wuji Heaven?"

The Grand Pure One Laozi nodded and smiled: "Indeed, it is a coincidence.

Since we've met, why not go together?"

After a brief exchange, the two Saints entered Wuji Heaven side by side, and then transmitted their voices:

"From Shouyang Mountain, The Grand Pure One Laozi, specially comes to pay respects to Fellow Daoist Changqing!"

"From Kunlun Mountain, Primordial Heavenly Venerate Yuanshi, specially comes to pay respects to Fellow Daoist Changqing!"

The transmitted voices echoed through the heavens. East King Duke and Kunpeng were greatly shocked upon hearing this: Even Saints have come to exchange Merit?

Upon hearing the transmission, Ran Deng felt guilty and wanted to flee, but was locked onto by Primordial Heavenly Venerate Yuanshi's divine sense:

"No need to hide, I already knew about this."

Ran Deng looked at Primordial Heavenly Venerate Yuanshi, who was walking with Laozi in the distance, in stunned disbelief.

From his understanding of Yuanshi, this Saint was always majestic and solemn, with an inherent arrogance.

Under normal circumstances, he would have severely punished Ran Deng.

But why was he acting so unusually today?

Before he could ponder further, Yuanshi's transmitted voice sounded again:

"You stay here with peace of mind.

If you can ascertain Fellow Daoist Changqing's background, report it to me immediately."

Ran Deng suddenly understood and quickly replied: "I respectfully obey your command!"

Such an order was more in line with Yuanshi's usual demeanor.

If he truly remained indifferent, it would be more unsettling.

Suddenly, another transmitted voice echoed through heaven and earth:

"From Jin'ao Island, Tongtian, specially comes to pay respects to Fellow Daoist Changqing!"

Before Tongtian's voice even faded, Kunpeng and the other two were already dumbfounded.

The convergence of the Three Pure Ones in Wuji Heaven was truly a rare sight in the Primordial World.

Before they could recover, two more transmitted voices sounded:

"From Mount Sumeru, Jieyin (and Zhunti), specially come to pay respects to Fellow Daoist Changqing!"

The personal arrival of the Two Saints of the West completely shocked East King Duke and the others.

Five Saints appearing together? Such a scene could only be witnessed when a great tribulation descended.

Even more astonishing was Nuwa's transmitted voice, which followed closely:

"From Wa Palace, Nuwa, specially comes to pay respects to Fellow Daoist Changqing!"

Six Saints gathered!

Kunpeng and the other two trembled in their souls.

Even if the Primordial World were to collapse, it would be difficult to see such a grand occasion of the Six Saints appearing together.

And the Great Master was actually able to summon all the Saints!

Such might could only be possessed by the Great Master.

With the Six Saints gathered in Wuji Heaven, the atmosphere became momentarily stagnant.

After all, they had just been preaching that shortcuts were not the righteous path, and then they all appeared one after another, which was truly laughable.

"Cough... Fellow Daoists, what a coincidence." Tongtian, with his straightforward nature, broke the silence first.

The Six Saints greeted each other, but all tacitly avoided discussing previous matters.

As the Saints found themselves in an awkward situation, Lu Changqing had already been alerted by a series of private messages.

Six Saints arriving at once?

While he didn't fear Saints, such a grand assembly still surprised him slightly.

In the Primordial World, there were only a handful of events that could cause six Saints to appear simultaneously.

Even the future Investiture of the Gods battle would only see five Saints directly involved.

Lu Changqing strolled out of Longevity Palace, his gaze sweeping over the assembled Saints, and he asked with a smile:

"It is truly a grand occasion in the Primordial World for all the Saints to arrive together. May I ask what brings you here?"

The Saints smiled but remained silent, none willing to mention the matter of exchanging Merit in public.

After a moment of silence, the Two Saints of the West, known for their thick skin, spoke first:

"Fellow Daoist Changqing, does the matter of exchanging Merit still stand?"

Lu Changqing immediately understood; so, all six Saints were here for Merit.

He laughed heartily, "Of course, it stands! How much do you all wish to exchange? Let your treasures speak!"

Upon hearing this, the faces of all the Saints brightened.

The Two Saints of the West were the first to present a mid-grade innate spiritual treasure and a thousand heavenly materials and earthly treasures.

Having sold treasures before, this was all they could gather now.

Zhunti said with a smile, "Please, Daoist Changqing, take a look."

Lu Changqing's gaze swept over them; only the Turbid Enlightenment Stone was somewhat noteworthy.

This stone could even aid Saints in their enlightenment.

He ordered Kunpeng to set the treasures aside, to be dealt with after all the Saints had made their exchanges.

Nuwa followed, saying, "My collection is limited, so I offer these two magic treasures in exchange."

She produced two magic treasures, one of which was a top-grade innate spiritual treasure, astonishing Kunpeng and the others.

Lu Changqing examined them closely. The Hunyuan Supreme Dust was good, but of little use to him. The other, a high-grade innate spiritual root, was quite decent.

He accepted them with a smile and instructed Kunpeng to record the transaction.

Tongtian stepped forward, saying, "I came in haste and did not prepare a generous gift."

Although the heavenly materials and earthly treasures he presented were numerous, their quality was **. The best among them was merely the mid-grade innate spiritual treasure, the Purple Lightning Hammer.

Lu Changqing accepted them all as presented and still had them recorded.

Laozi unfurled his sleeve and said, "Please, Daoist Changqing, appraise the elixirs I have refined."

Hundreds of gourds appeared in response, containing thirty Nine-Turn Golden Elixirs, over six thousand elixirs of other turns, and an additional three thousand eight hundred healing and enlightenment elixirs.

All the Saints were shocked, never expecting Laozi to offer his entire stock.

Lu Changqing cast a second glance only at the Nine-Turn Golden Elixirs. Seeing this, Laozi produced a Mirror-Breaking Pill: "This elixir can help Quasi-Saints break through their realm."

Kunpeng and the other two looked at the elixirs with longing, while the Saints sighed with emotion.

Primordial Heavenly Venerate's expression grew more somber upon seeing his elder brother's significant offering.

With a wave of his sleeve, hundreds of magic treasures floated in the air.

"Haha, Fellow Daoist Changqing, though I am untalented, I do enjoy crafting little trinkets."

While many of these magic treasures were post-celestial, they were crafted by a Saint and possessed extraordinary power.

Kunpeng, responsible for recording, was already dumbfounded and subconsciously began to count.

In total, there were three hundred and seventy-six items, seventy-six of which were post-celestial supreme treasures, and one was a top-grade innate spiritual treasure!

Seeing this, East King Duke and Ran Deng couldn't help but marvel at the wealth of the Saints.

Though not comparable to Great Master's collection, it far surpassed all of theirs.

Gazing at the mountain of magic treasures, the three of them exclaimed in unison:

"Before Merit, all beings are truly equal!"

Lu Changqing handed all the magic treasures to Kunpeng, who was in charge of recording, and said calmly, "Calculate how much Merit each of the Saints should receive."

"As Great Master commands!"

Kunpeng respectfully accepted the order and tremblingly began to calculate each Saint's share of Merit.

Facing six supreme beings, he dared not make the slightest mistake, verifying the calculations a hundred times before nervously reporting:

"Reporting to Great Master, the Merit for each Saint is as follows: Saint Nuwa, eight million; Saints Jieyin and Zhunti, each eight million; Saint Tongtian, thirteen million; Saint Taiqing Laozi, eighteen million; Saint Yuanshi, twenty-three million.

The total is seventy million Merit."

Hearing this astronomical figure, the six Saints of the Primordial World couldn't help but hold their breath.

Such a massive amount of Merit, if combined with Primordial Violet Qi, would be sufficient to achieve the Hunyuan Great Luo Dao fruit.

But after hearing this, Lu Changqing's expression remained as usual, with even a hint of boredom between his brows.

Seventy million Merit was but a drop in the ocean in his eyes.

"Sigh—it's not even a hundred million, truly uninteresting."

With a soft sigh, Lu Changqing casually summoned ten thousand acres of merit golden clouds.

Brilliant golden light illuminated the universe. Although the Six Saints were blinded and couldn't open their eyes, they couldn't hide their joy.

He carelessly distributed the merit golden clouds according to the numbers.

The Grand Pure One and the others, making their first trade, held the golden clouds, unable to conceal their shock.

Back then, Nuwa only obtained fifty million Merit for creating humans, which was already a feat that shook the ancient and modern worlds.

Yet this Quasi-Saint before them casually produced seventy million Merit and still found it insufficient.

When had these rustic cultivators ever seen such a spectacle?

Seeing the Six Saints holding the merit golden clouds, Lu Changqing shook his head and said, "The items brought out by you Saints are truly not worth mentioning."

The Six Saints combined only had seventy million Merit, which couldn't even compare to Hong Yun's three hundred million.

"If it were me, I would ask for at least three to five hundred million to make it worthwhile."

These words left the Six Saints in a daze.

Fifty million Merit was already earth-shattering in the Primordial World.

Yet this person complained that seventy million was too little.

Starting the bidding at a hundred million.

Speaking of three to five hundred million Merit as if buying vegetables?

What kind of words were these for a cultivator of the Primordial World to utter?

If anyone else dared to be so arrogant, The Six Saints would have long ago taught them what it means to wish for death.

Just as the Six Saints were questioning their lives, Lu Changqing suddenly looked at Laozi.

He recalled that this Saint seemed to possess a rather good magic treasure.

"Grand Pure One, I've heard that your Heaven and Earth Mysterious Yellow Exquisite Pagoda was formed from two-tenths of the Merit of World Creation, reputed to be the foremost defensive treasure of the acquired category. Its might is no less than that of a Primordial Supreme Treasure, and with it, one can stand in an invincible position."

Lu Changqing got straight to the point:

"Are you interested in selling it?"

Laozi chuckled upon hearing this: "This is my companion treasure, how could it be bought or sold?"

Cultivators of the Primordial World all regarded companion spiritual treasures as their own limbs, Not only were they extraordinary in power, but they also carried profound emotional attachments, And were always considered non-saleable items.

Lu Changqing, however, revealed a meaningful smile: