After Su Mu finished speaking, the Kongtong Seal once again sent a beam of golden light shooting into the sky, and a vast Golden Cloud of Merit appeared overhead.
Six Parts of Merit entered Xuanyuan's body, raising him through the Peak Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal realm and the early, middle, late, and peak stages of the Primordial Golden Immortal realm, until he finally stopped at the Sub-Saint realm.
Two Parts of Merit entered the Witch-Slaying Sword in Xuanyuan's hand. One Part of Merit merged with the Human Race vengeful spirits inside the sword.
Countless Human Race vengeful spirits drifted out of the Witch-Slaying Sword. They had once suffered the Demon Race's slaughter, but now, cleansed by merit, they were finally free.
Gratitude showed on the spirits' faces as they bowed deeply to Xuanyuan, expressing their respect and thanks.
Then they turned and set off on the road to reincarnation in the Underworld.
Carrying a sense of release from the pain of their past, the spirits gradually disappeared through the entrance to the Underworld.
They would be reborn and begin a new journey through life. Xuanyuan stood where he was, quietly watching the scene, his heart filled with emotion and relief.
He knew that everything he had done was worthwhile, for he had saved countless innocent souls and freed them, allowing them to be reborn.
One Part of Merit turned the Witch-Slaying Sword into an Acquired Merit Supreme Treasure. Holding it, Xuanyuan said, "From now on, this sword shall be called the Xuanyuan Sword."
The final Two Parts of Merit flew toward Nine Heavens Xuannü and Bei Xuan, entering their bodies and raising each of them by one Minor Realm.
Nine Heavens Xuannü reached the early Quasi-Saint realm, while Bei Xuan reached the early Grand Unity Golden Immortal realm. Both were delighted.
The Twelve Golden Immortals watched as the golden ocean was divided up completely. Their faces filled with shock and confusion. They stared wide-eyed, unable to believe what they were seeing.
"How could this happen?" Manjushri Guangfa Tianzun muttered, his voice tinged with disbelief.
Samantabhadra Zhenren furrowed his brow as well. "Why was all that merit given to those people? What about our share?"
The Twelve Golden Immortals exchanged bewildered and resentful looks. They had assumed that, as disciples of Primordial Lord, they would receive a generous share of merit. But now it seemed they had been left out.
Just then, Taiyi Zhenren looked at Guangchengzi, his eyes full of questions. "Senior Brother Guangchengzi, what is going on? Are we really getting no merit?"
Guangchengzi looked just as bewildered. He shook his head, indicating that he did not know why this had happened either.
While everyone was still reeling from the shock, Su Mu spoke up again in a clear voice. "Chi You forged weapons and refined the Five Weapons, making an immense contribution to the development of the Human Race. He shall be the Human Race's Lord of Soldiers. Let Heaven and Earth bear witness!"
Another Golden Cloud of Merit appeared in the sky. Though smaller than Xuanyuan's, it was still a stunning sight.
Guangchengzi and the others grew excited again. There was still more merit!
Chi You heard Su Mu's words and stared at him in disbelief. "Martial Ancestor, you actually..."
Before Chi You could finish, the Golden Cloud of Merit plunged straight into his body. His cultivation surged in an instant, advancing through the early, middle, and late stages of the Primordial Golden Immortal realm, all the way to its peak.
Chi You had received enough merit to reach the Peak Golden Immortal of the Origin realm—the realm of the Ancestral Witches.
Chi You immediately dropped to one knee and said to Su Mu, "Martial Ancestor, from now on, I, Chi You, will dedicate myself to developing and protecting the Human Race."
Su Mu nodded. "Good. I believe in you."
Guangchengzi and the others were utterly dumbfounded. What on earth was happening? Why weren't they getting any merit?
He wondered to himself whether they had failed to distinguish themselves in the Investiture of the Gods War, or whether some other reason had kept them from receiving merit.
Whatever the reason, the outcome left them deeply disappointed.
As they speculated wildly, the Primordial Era sky suddenly darkened, taking on a reddish hue.
Everyone was alarmed, and they cried out in unison, "Heavenly Karma!"
Before anyone could react, the terrifying Karma surged like a raging tide and poured into the Twelve Golden Immortals!
In the blink of an eye, they felt their cultivation forcibly suppressed by an invisible hand, dropping by an entire realm!
Their once-mighty power and cultivation vanished as swiftly as the tide receding.
"No!" someone cried out in terror, but it was already too late to stop what was happening.
In just seconds, the Twelve Golden Immortals' auras plummeted. Their once otherworldly, immortal bearing gave way to a thoroughly disheveled appearance.
They stared at their own bodies in disbelief, their hearts filled with despair and resentment.
The sudden turn of events stunned everyone. For a moment, the entire scene fell into dead silence.
Far away on Kunlun Mountain, Primordial Lord sprang to his feet. "What happened? Not only did they receive no merit, they incurred Karma as well?"
He performed a divination and immediately understood. They had incurred Karma by killing members of the Human Race while trying to help Xuanyuan.
"Alas." Primordial Lord sighed, then waited for Guangchengzi to return so he could help him dispel the Karma.
The Human Race members watching the ceremony at Mount Tai Summit felt no sympathy for them. The Kunlun Twelve Golden Immortals had indeed come to help Xuanyuan, the Human Race's Co-Lord.
But they had also killed their fellow members of the Human Race. Though Chi You, the Lord of Soldiers, wanted to unite the Human Race, he had not gone around killing its people.
The Twelve Golden Immortals returned to Kunlun Mountain dejectedly and paid their respects to Primordial Lord.
"Master, your disciples failed to carry out the task. We beg you to punish us," the Twelve Golden Immortals said in unison.
"Enough. Let this be a lesson. Guangchengzi, this is a Nine Revolutions Golden Elixir. Take it to dispel your Karma."
Guangchengzi was overjoyed and bowed. "Thank you, Master."
Guangchengzi swallowed the Nine Revolutions Golden Elixir, and the Karma on him vanished instantly.
Primordial Lord said, "You may all go and cultivate."
The other Golden Immortals wanted a Nine Revolutions Golden Elixir too, but they did not dare ask.
Cihang Daoren hesitated for a long time before finally speaking. "Master, could you grant me a Nine Revolutions Golden Elixir to help me dispel my Karma?"
Primordial Lord said, "You cannot always rely on me. You must work hard at cultivating and accumulate more merit. You may leave."
Cihang Daoren and the other Golden Immortals thought to themselves, Master is far too biased toward Senior Brother Guangchengzi.
Shouyang Mountain.
Shouyang Palace.
With the Human Sovereign taking his rightful place, a vast, golden-yellow flood of merit descended from the sky and flowed straight into Nuwa's body.
As the light entered her, Nuwa felt a surge of powerful energy well up within her. Her cultivation instantly broke through another realm, reaching the second heaven of the Primordial Grand Unity Golden Immortal realm.
At the same time, the Spiritual Energy of Heaven and Earth around her poured frantically into her body, strengthening her aura and stabilizing her realm.
Nuwa opened her eyes, golden light glimmering within them. She could feel that her power had grown immensely.
After Xuanyuan succeeded him as Co-Lord, Shennong went to the Human Ancestral Land. The Human Race's destiny grew stronger, and not only Kunlun Mountain but the Human Ancestral Land also gained abundant destiny.
The Human Race members cultivating at the Training Ground continued to advance, bolstered by their powerful destiny.
Immersed in abundant Spiritual Energy, these Human Race cultivators sensed the boundless mysteries and power between Heaven and Earth.
Every breath nourished their bodies, and every cycle of inhalation and exhalation strengthened their vital energy.
As time passed, their cultivation broke through to higher levels without their even realizing it.
Bottlenecks that had once seemed impossible to overcome now gave way with ease, filling the Human Race cultivators with joy.
They understood that it was all thanks to the land beneath their feet and the powerful destiny they possessed.
At the Training Ground, the Human Race cultivators sparred with one another, exchanged ideas, and explored the path of cultivation together.
They discovered that the gap between them was gradually shrinking, and everyone was growing at an astonishing pace.
The atmosphere stirred the fighting spirit deep within them, driving them to work even harder toward higher realms.
At the same time, the mysterious techniques and secret arts of the True Martial Scripture were uncovered.
These precious teachings benefited the Human Race cultivators immensely, and they studied them with unquenchable eagerness.
They incorporated them into their cultivation. In the process, they not only strengthened themselves but also grasped many profound mysteries that their predecessors had never touched upon.
Thus, the Human Race cultivators spent one spring and summer after another at the Training Ground.
Their cultivation continued to advance, and they grew from novice disciples into top experts.
None of this would have been possible without the destiny they possessed and that wondrous land.
After dealing with matters at the ancestral land, Su Mu made all the necessary arrangements and set off for Shouyang Mountain.
Su Mu entered Shouyang Palace and bowed. "This disciple pays his respects to Master."
"Su Mu, you're here," Nuwa said slowly. "I was just about to discuss something with you."
"Su Mu, I feel we may not need to wait until the Five Emperors take their rightful places. The Human Race's destiny is so abundant now that we can establish the Human Dao."
"Master, if you establish the Human Dao now, Dao Ancestor Hongjun could easily suppress you," Su Mu said quietly.
"Is that so? I was too hasty."
Su Mu noticed that Jin Feng had returned and said, "Sister Jin Feng, you're back. Have you finished dealing with the Phoenix Race's affairs?"
Su Mu looked at the person beside Jin Feng. He had a handsome face and an elegant bearing.
"Who is this?" Su Mu asked.
Jin Feng said, "Su Mu, let me introduce him. This is the current chieftain of the Phoenix Race, Kong Xuan."
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