Chapter 3

Lu Changsheng had just recovered from his conversation with the system when he heard Houtu introduce herself. A trace of surprise flashed through his eyes.

He had never expected that a casual stroll outside would lead him to meet Houtu, the Ancestral Witch who would become the embodiment of reincarnation in the future.

He gave her a brief assessment and replied with a smile, "I am Lu Changsheng, a cultivator from Wuji Peak."

Then he continued, "To thank Fellow Daoist Houtu for your assistance just now, I would like to offer you a small gift as a token of my appreciation."

With that, Lu Changsheng casually condensed a mass of Golden Cloud of Merit containing one hundred thousand units of merit.

The instant the Golden Cloud of Merit appeared, Houtu froze on the spot.

Xing Tian was dumbfounded as well. Could this cultivator be out of his mind?

Everyone knew that merit was extraordinarily precious in the Great Desolation World.

Among the current Sages, only Nuwa had received a massive gift from the Heavenly Dao through the merit of creating humanity.

The Three Pure Ones had inherited a portion of the merit from creating the heavens and earth because of their status as Pangu's orthodox successors.

As for the Two Sages of the West, they had lacked sufficient merit when establishing their religion and had been forced to make forty-eight great vows to borrow from the Heavenly Dao. To this day, they were still constrained by it.

Merit was already so precious to Sages, let alone the countless living beings of the Great Desolation World.

As the saying went, magic treasures were easy to obtain, but merit was difficult to seek.

For Lu Changsheng to give away one hundred thousand units of merit upon their first meeting was simply as unbelievable as a dream.

Even Houtu, an Ancestral Witch, found it impossible to believe. After standing there blankly for a moment, she hurriedly refused:

"Fellow Daoist Changsheng, absolutely not! This gift is far too precious. I would feel ashamed to accept it!"

Seeing Houtu refuse, Lu Changsheng immediately placed the Golden Cloud of Merit back into her hands and said,

"Fellow Daoist Houtu, there's no need to be so polite.

"You earned this merit by helping me. Just accept it.

"Besides, perhaps it can help you condense a primordial spirit."

Lu Changsheng knew very well that the Wu Clan were born without primordial spirits.

However, according to legends from later generations, Houtu would transform into reincarnation and establish the Netherworld. When the Heavenly Dao bestowed immeasurable merit upon her, she would thereby develop a primordial spirit and ultimately attain Sainthood through it.

In the Great Desolation World, merit was an all-purpose panacea capable of anything—whether it was increasing one's cultivation, strengthening magic treasures, or enhancing one's luck, it was always effective.

Houtu had still intended to politely refuse, but upon hearing Lu Changsheng's words, her mind trembled. She asked in surprise,

"Is that really true, Fellow Daoist?"

Lu Changsheng actually did not dare to be completely certain. However, when he saw Houtu finally hesitate and accept the Golden Cloud of Merit, he replied with a smile,

"Whether it's true or not, you'll know once you try."

Only then did Houtu stop insisting and accept the Golden Cloud of Merit.

But thinking of how she had received such a valuable gift for nothing, she still felt uneasy. Thus, she took the initiative to invite him:

"Fellow Daoist Changsheng, you have been so generous, yet Houtu has no way to repay you.

"Why not return with me to the Wu Clan as a guest?

"My clan will welcome you with the grandest ceremony."

After hearing this, Lu Changsheng simply waved his hand and refused:

"There's no need to visit. I still have important matters to attend to."

Although he had a favorable impression of Houtu, this was not the time to leisurely play guest.

He still had more than ninety-nine trillion units of merit waiting to be "spent."

Seeing how firm Lu Changsheng was, Houtu did not force him to stay. After thanking him repeatedly, she watched him depart aboard the divine boat before turning back toward the Wu Clan.

As Lu Changsheng continued on his journey, he looked at the enormous merit value in the system—more than ninety-nine trillion, with so many digits after it that he was too lazy to count them—and felt a headache coming on.

He shook his head helplessly and sighed:

"If I only spend one hundred thousand at a time, when will I ever finish it?

"Sigh, the road to squandering wealth is long. Comrade Little Lu still has to work hard!"

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At this moment, Houtu, who was returning to the Wu Clan together with Xing Tian, still had a dazed look on her face.

"Xing Tian, was everything that happened just now really not a dream?"

She asked somewhat blankly.

That had been one hundred thousand units of merit.

All she had done was fulfill her duty as a member of the Wu Clan—drive away a peak Grand Unity Golden Immortal-level demon.

Such a trivial matter had actually earned her the merit that every cultivator in the Great Desolation World dreamed of?

No one would probably believe it if she told them.

She would not have dared imagine it even in a dream.

After hearing Houtu's words, Xing Tian raised his hand and slapped himself.

"Smack—"

It hurt. It was real.

He spoke in disbelief: "It's not a dream. It's real!"

Just as Houtu and Xing Tian were returning to the Wu Clan tribe in a daze,

Che Qi, whose physical body had previously been blasted apart by Xing Tian and who had escaped with only his primordial spirit, had not actually gone far.

He had been secretly observing them from a distance all along.

Seeing how lavishly Lu Changsheng had acted, evil thoughts arose in his heart as well.

However, he had only his primordial spirit left and no physical body,

so he could not make a move against Lu Changsheng for the time being.

"Looks like I'll have to return to the Demon Clan first."

After muttering this, Che Qi quickly flew back to the Demon Clan,

intending to ask a powerful Demon Clan expert for help.

At the same time that Che Qi returned to the Demon Clan,

Houtu had already arrived back in the Wu Clan's territory.

Because Lu Changsheng had said that refining merit might give her a chance to develop a primordial spirit,

Houtu did not go to find her brothers first. Instead, she returned directly to her palace and prepared to give it a try.

As the merit was gradually refined,

Houtu soon sensed something strange within her body.

A cool, refreshing sensation spread throughout her entire body,

followed by strands of Great Dao patterns slowly emerging around her.

After the merit was completely refined, the Great Dao patterns gradually sank into Houtu's body.

At the same time, a faint and incomplete primordial spirit slowly began to take shape.

Although the primordial spirit was tiny and almost impossible to detect without careful examination, and its impact on her current strength was negligible,

Houtu was still extremely excited when she sensed this change.

This proved that the path of merit was indeed feasible.

"It's true. Fellow Daoist Changsheng was right!

"I must tell my brothers this news as soon as possible."

She muttered to herself before immediately setting out for Pangu Temple.

That was the sacred land of the Wu Clan, the birthplace of the Ancestral Witches, and the most important place in the entire Wu Clan.

At the same time Houtu headed for Pangu Temple,

Lu Changsheng, who was traveling through the Great Desolation World, once again encountered a demonic wind blocking his path.

This demonic wind was even more violent than the one he had encountered before.

"Again? Could I have stirred up the Demon Clan's nest?"

Seeing this, Lu Changsheng could not help but look helpless.

Just as he sighed inwardly,

a Kunpeng that blotted out the sky and sun slowly took shape within the churning demonic wind.

With a light flap of its enormous wings, the demonic wind scattered in an instant.

Then the enormous Kunpeng transformed into human form

and turned to ask Che Qi beside him,

"Is this the one?"

"That's right, Ancestor. It's him. He possesses numerous Merit Supreme Treasures."

Che Qi answered with a sinister grin as he looked toward Lu Changsheng.

Upon hearing this, a wicked smile appeared on Kunpeng's face.

His gaze was as sharp as a blade as he carefully sized up Lu Changsheng,

as though he were looking at a fish on a chopping block.

As a late-stage Quasi-Saint powerhouse,

Kunpeng did not take Lu Changsheng, who possessed only late-stage Grand Unity Golden Immortal cultivation, seriously.

Even if the other party possessed a Merit Supreme Treasure that could enhance his strength somewhat,

the gap between major realms was not something a magic treasure could make up for.

The reason Kunpeng had deigned to come personally

was precisely because he was practically penniless among the Quasi-Saints,

without even a decent magic treasure.

After hearing that a cultivator possessed multiple Merit Supreme Treasures,

he had disregarded his status and come in person.

A satisfied smile appeared on Kunpeng's face.

Lu Changsheng not only possessed the Merit Supreme Treasure Wuji Divine Boat; even the Daoist robe he wore was also a Merit Supreme Treasure.

After sizing him up for a moment, Kunpeng said with a smile,

"You're merely at the Grand Unity realm. How could you possibly be worthy of so many Postnatal Merit Supreme Treasures? Why not let me keep them for you?"

Hearing his shameless words, Lu Changsheng replied coldly,

"Are all of you from the Demon Clan this shameless?"

Kunpeng did not care about the mockery. He grinned wickedly and said,

"It wasn't easy for you to cultivate to the Grand Unity Golden Immortal realm. Why throw away your cultivation over a few magic treasures?"

Although Kunpeng was confident that he could easily kill Lu Changsheng, since the other party possessed Merit Supreme Treasures, he might also possess merit.

If he killed him rashly, he feared it might bring about karmic consequences.

Therefore, Kunpeng did not immediately attack.

Lu Changsheng, however, was completely unafraid of the threat.

Although Kunpeng possessed late-stage Quasi-Saint cultivation, Lu Changsheng carried hundreds of trillions of merit.

With so much merit protecting him, even a Sage would not dare act against him lightly.

He said contemptuously,

"I'm not giving them to you. If you have the guts, make your move!"

Lu Changsheng's arrogant attitude left Che Qi and Kunpeng stunned.

After a moment, Kunpeng laughed out of extreme anger:

"Hahahaha—this venerable one has lived for so long, yet I've never seen anyone as arrogant as you! Die!"

Amid his furious shout, Kunpeng raised his hand and prepared to unleash a divine ability to suppress and kill Lu Changsheng.

Lu Changsheng, however, showed no fear.

His divine sense stirred slightly.

In an instant, nine thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine Golden Wheels of Merit appeared behind him.

Brilliant golden light erupted like blazing suns, illuminating the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths.

At that moment, Kunpeng seemed to see countless suns shining before his eyes.

The intense light instantly stabbed Kunpeng and Che Qi until they could not open their eyes.

The two cried out in shock:

"What is that? How can it be so dazzling?"

Kunpeng and Che Qi stared at the nine thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine Golden Wheels of Merit behind Lu Changsheng, whose radiance illuminated the Nine Heavens. They were so shocked that they stood dumbfounded, barely daring to believe their eyes.

Kunpeng was shaken to his core. He had never seen so many Golden Wheels of Merit in his entire life!

Wasn't this far too exaggerated?

"Could these... all be Golden Wheels of Merit?"

Blinded and dizzy from the dazzling radiance of merit, Kunpeng asked in disbelief.

Everyone knew that Golden Wheels of Merit were refined from pure merit. They could neither assist in battle nor increase one's cultivation.

Its greatest use was to condense a Golden Wheel of Merit behind oneself, draw upon merit to bless one's body, and enhance one's fortune and destiny.

By comparison, using merit to increase one's cultivation or temper magic treasures was clearly far more practical.

What was hardest to understand was that someone had actually squandered it so recklessly, condensing an enormous amount of merit into nine thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine Golden Wheels of Merit?

What kind of wastrel did it take to do that?

Kunpeng's heart was shaken, and he was utterly baffled.

If it had been him, he would have refined all that merit into magic treasures or converted it into his own cultivation.

"Demon Master... surely we're not seeing things, right? There really are nine thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine Golden Wheels of Merit behind that person!"

Che Qi swallowed with difficulty, his voice filled with disbelief.