The power of merit appeared as five dazzling pillars of mysterious golden light.
It descended from the Ninth Heaven, precisely enveloping Jieyin, Zhunti, Hong Yun, Zhenyuanzi, and Xuande!
Vast, pure, warm power of merit poured into the five of them.
It washed over their bodies, nourished their Primordial Spirits, and advanced their cultivation!
The sorrowful look vanished from Jieyin's face, replaced by a radiant sense of purity and perfection.
The Daoist aura of annihilation around him blended with his newly gained merit, and his aura climbed steadily.
In an instant, he broke through the shackles of the Mid-Stage Grand Unity Golden Immortal and reached the late stage!
Zhunti's eyes blazed with wisdom. Under the infusion of merit, the Dao of the wondrous workings of karmic origins seemed to ignite within him.
It became more lively and profound. His aura soared as well, crossing the middle stage and reaching the late stage!
Hong Yun burst into laughter, his red robes seeming to have been dyed a mysterious golden hue by the merit.
His already deep reserves of merit surged once more.
His comprehension of the Four Symbols Dao broke through its bottleneck as naturally as water flowing into a channel, and his cultivation boldly advanced into the late stage of the Great Luo realm!
The Earth Scroll above Zhenyuanzi's head hummed, resonating with the descending merit.
With the blessing of merit, his comprehension of the Earth Dao reached a new height.
His Wutu Essence Qi became purer and more substantial, and his cultivation steadily entered the late stage of the Great Luo realm!
As for Xuande, he was enveloped by the thickest pillar of merit.
A vast amount of mysterious golden merit poured into him, blending seamlessly with the merit Origin Essence he already possessed.
His aura did not break through to a new stage as the other four had. It remained at the late stage of the Grand Unity Golden Immortal.
But his aura became more profound, weighty, and harmonious.
He was like an endless sea: calm on the surface, yet concealing immeasurable potential within.
His foundation, reserves, and control over the Way of Merit were all elevated by this boundless merit to a level terrifyingly beyond that of others in the same rank!
Even more astonishing to Xuande was that, as the infusion of merit reached its peak,
the Origin Essence of the Twelve-Petal Merit Golden Lotus in his Purple Mansion Primordial Spirit began to tremble of its own accord.
It conveyed a stirring unlike anything he had ever felt before—a mixture of "longing" and "fulfillment."
He clearly sensed that his true form seemed... capable of absorbing even more merit!
It was not merely a matter of improving his cultivation. Once his reserves reached a certain level, there was a chance... that he could undergo an essential evolution!
A thought that sent his heart surging with excitement surfaced in his mind:
If he had enough merit, could his own Twelve-Petal Merit Golden Lotus...
possibly undergo Reversal to Innateness...
and evolve toward the higher-ranked Twenty-Four Petal Creation Green Lotus, formed from the only mature seed of the Chaos Green Lotus?
Could it even reach the status of the Chaos Green Lotus itself?
The thought made his heart race.
The Thirty-Six Petal Chaos Green Lotus possessed the status of a Chaos treasure and had once nurtured Great God Pangu!
Though he knew this would surely require an unimaginable amount of merit and an extraordinary opportunity,
at least he had glimpsed a direction—a possibility of surpassing the limits of his own innate foundation!
The infusion of merit continued for a long time before gradually coming to a halt.
The auspicious clouds and celestial radiance slowly dispersed, and the will of the Heavenly Dao quietly withdrew.
Mysterious golden light flowed around the five of them, and all their auras were far stronger than before.
They exchanged smiles, seeing joy and confidence in the future in one another's eyes.
After enduring countless years and expending immeasurable effort, their great aspiration to repair the Western Earth Veins had finally been fulfilled—at least in its first stage!
The flourishing of life on the land's surface would still take much longer to nurture, but the foundations had been restored, and life had begun anew.
The West had finally welcomed a new beginning!
After the Heavenly Dao's merit dissipated,
the five remained quietly suspended in midair, feeling the surging power within them and the ineffable clarity that came with their improved cultivation.
Zhenyuanzi was the first to open his eyes.
The Earth Scroll above his head slowly dimmed, while the Wutu Essence Qi around him became denser and more substantial than before.
He was like a steady, imposing sacred mountain, yet now he also carried the gentle luster of one whose merit was complete.
He looked around at the others, smiled warmly, and cupped his hands.
"Congratulations, fellow Daoists. Our merit is fulfilled, and our cultivation has greatly advanced. The Western Earth Veins have finally been reborn."
Hong Yun also came back to himself from the lingering effects of the merit's infusion.
The four-colored radiance around him had grown more lively. His face was flushed, and he laughed with unrestrained joy.
"Haha! What a thrill! What a thrill! I've never felt this exhilarated in all my years of cultivation!
"Not only did we cure the Western lands of their longstanding affliction, but we also gained so much merit, and my cultivation advanced. This is truly a wonderful blessing!"
At the moment his merit was made complete, the sorrowful look on Jieyin's face seemed to fade as well.
In its place was a peace and tranquility that came from the heart.
He pressed his palms together. "This was all thanks to the wholehearted assistance of Fellow Daoists Zhenyuanzi and Hong Yun, as well as Fellow Daoist Xuande's blessing of merit. Only then could we have achieved this.
"My junior brother and I will remember this kindness and virtue."
Zhunti nodded repeatedly, unable to suppress his smile.
After his breakthrough, his bearing had become more lively, wisdom glimmering in his eyes as he spoke with even greater warmth.
"Indeed! Indeed! Fellow Daoist Zhenyuanzi, Fellow Daoist Hong Yun, the West will repay this kindness!
"If either of you ever needs anything, just send word. My senior brother and I will come at once!"
Zhenyuanzi waved a hand and smiled.
"You are too kind, Fellow Daoist Zhunti. Repairing the Earth Veins is my duty, and it is also a good deed that benefits all the living beings of the Primordial Wilderness.
"Gaining merit is already an unexpected blessing.
"Besides, working alongside all of you has greatly enlightened me on my own Great Dao. I have already gained more than enough."
Hong Yun also set aside his laughter and spoke earnestly.
"Fellow Daoist Jieyin, Fellow Daoist Zhunti, we cultivators value karmic affinity above all.
"Our work together was a great karmic affinity. There's no need to talk about repayment—it makes us sound like strangers!
"When you have some free time, I'll visit Mount Sumeru for tea and a discussion of the Dao. Just don't find me annoying!"
Everyone laughed at his words.
After exchanging congratulations and thanks, the atmosphere gradually settled.
Zhenyuanzi looked at the sky, then sensed the aura within him that still needed stabilizing before turning to the others.
"The merit has just been bestowed, and our cultivation has risen suddenly. Though this is a great cause for celebration, we still need time to carefully sort through our insights and stabilize our realms.
"The matter of the Earth Veins is settled. Fellow Daoist Hong Yun and I should return to Wuzhuang Temple and enter seclusion for a while."
Hong Yun nodded. "We should go back and mull this over. When the merit poured into me just now,
"so many new ideas about the Four Symbols Dao came to mind. I need to seize hold of them while I can, or I might forget them after a while."
Jieyin nodded at their words.
"You are both right.
"After a breakthrough, sorting through what we have gained is indeed our most pressing task.
"My junior brother and I must also return to Mount Sumeru and enter seclusion to consolidate our progress."
Xuande had listened quietly all this time. Now he spoke up.
"Just so. You two contributed the most to repairing the Earth Veins and gained the most merit, so it is only natural that your cultivation advanced.
"Return to your abodes and enter seclusion in peace. Once your realms are stable, we can meet again."
Zhenyuanzi and Hong Yun said no more. They bowed solemnly to the three of them in farewell.
Zhenyuanzi said, "Until we meet again, fellow Daoists. Send word whenever something important comes up."
Hong Yun waved as well. "Until we meet again! We'll get together at Wuzhuang Temple next time!"
Two streams of Escape Light shot into the sky, one earth-yellow, steady and weighty, the other fiery red, lively and blazing. They soon vanished beyond the horizon.
After watching them leave, Jieyin and Zhunti turned to Xuande. Jieyin said,
"Fellow Daoist Xuande, you expended a great deal this time. Though you did not break through, you still need to carefully refine the merit that entered your body.
"Why not return to Mount Sumeru with my junior brother and me and spend some time in quiet cultivation?"
Zhunti added, "That's right, Daoist brother. Your Merit Golden Light was a great help this time. If you further refine what you gained, your cultivation will surely advance again."