High above the East Sea, the winds and clouds gradually calmed.
The three overseas immortals fled the sea in a panic, their figures disappearing beyond the horizon. Only wreckage and fragments of shattered Magic Treasures remained behind.
East King Duke had vanished long ago. He hadn't even dared to say goodbye, afraid Taiyuan might change his mind and hit him again.
Zhunti stood where he was, carrying the Sky-Turning Shovel. Heat still rose from his bald head, and his face showed how reluctant he was to stop.
"Elder Brother, we're just letting them go?"
He wasn't satisfied. He'd been having a great time fighting them and hadn't had enough yet.
"Let them go back and spread the word."
Taiyuan put away the Carefree Chair and patted Zhunti on the shoulder. "It's easy to kill them. It'll be more useful to let them live and spread the Western Sect's reputation."
"Besides, everything the Three Immortal Island had is already here. There's no point keeping the people around."
As he spoke, he hefted the three heavy storage bags in his hand, a satisfied smile curling his lips.
This trip had brought in quite a haul.
Not only had he obtained East King Duke's Dragon Head Cane, he'd also extorted everything the Three Immortal Island owned.
A worthwhile trip.
Zhunti's eyes lit up when he heard that, and he immediately sidled over.
"Elder Brother, what good stuff is in there?"
Taiyuan gave him a sidelong glance. "We'll split it up when we get back. There's still business to take care of."
He turned and looked toward the small island shrouded in red silk.
Nuwa stood at the center of the island, slowly putting away the Mountain and River Diagram. The newly born members of the Human Race reappeared on the beach, trembling as they looked around.
The battle had badly frightened these little ones, who had only just been born.
Nuwa gently soothed them, her lovely face glowing with motherly warmth.
Just then—
A sudden rumble rolled across the sky.
The Merit Golden Cloud, which had blotted out the heavens and churned for so long, finally began to take shape.
Countless layers of dark-gold clouds spun like a vortex, then gathered into a dazzling pillar of golden light that descended from the heavens.
The pillar was a hundred zhang thick, and its aura made the entire East Sea tremble.
This was the Heavenly Dao's recognition of the merit earned by creating humanity.
This was an unparalleled opportunity, one powerful enough to let someone become a Saint on the spot.
Nuwa looked at the pillar of golden light and drew a deep breath as the magic power within her began to circulate.
She opened her arms, ready to receive this boundless merit.
The pillar of merit descended slowly like a waterfall, enveloping Nuwa from head to toe.
Brilliant golden light illuminated the entire sea.
The magic power within Nuwa surged wildly. The bottleneck that had kept her at the Perfected Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal stage began to loosen, as though she would break through at any moment.
Sainthood.
It was right before her eyes.
However—
At this crucial moment, Nuwa's expression suddenly changed.
She could feel it: she was missing the one thing she needed most.
Primordial Violet Qi.
It was the key to becoming a Saint, the opportunity bestowed by the Heavenly Dao.
Without Primordial Violet Qi, no matter how much merit she absorbed, she couldn't transform it into the power needed to become a Saint.
The merit surged wildly inside her, unable to find an outlet. Instead, it began to turn against her flesh and soul.
Nuwa's lovely face turned deathly pale, and fine beads of sweat appeared on her forehead.
"How could this be?"
A profound despair welled up in her heart.
Everything was ready. Sainthood was right before her eyes. Why had something gone wrong at the very last step?
Was the Heavenly Dao going to make all her efforts come to nothing?
Just as Nuwa was growing frantic, a lazy voice spoke beside her.
"Don't panic. I saw this coming."
Taiyuan had appeared at her side without her noticing, wearing that same carefree smile.
"That old riddler Hongjun is holding on to the Primordial Violet Qi. He was planning to hand it over at the crucial moment, win your favor, and make you owe him Karma."
"Too bad he overlooked one thing."
As he spoke, Taiyuan slowly took a seed from his robes. A soft green light shimmered around it.
The seed was only the size of a thumb, yet it seemed to contain an entire world.
Thirty-six profoundly mysterious Great Dao restrictions flowed across its surface, each one containing the terrifying power to create heaven and earth.
More astonishing still, the aura it gave off was purer than the Primordial Violet Qi's, and closer to the source of the Great Dao.
A Chaos Green Lotus Seed.
After the Chaos Green Lotus sprouted on Mount Sumeru, it absorbed an immense amount of Chaos Primordial Qi and water from the Merit Pool. This was the first seed it had borne.
What it contained was not an opportunity to become a Saint bestowed by the Heavenly Dao, but a source of chaos that surpassed the Heavenly Dao.
Nuwa stared at the seed, utterly stunned.
"Is that... a Chaos Green Lotus Seed?"
Her voice trembled, disbelief filling her beautiful eyes.
What was the Chaos Green Lotus?
It was the supreme divine treasure that had given birth to Pangu God, the greatest treasure in the Primordial World. Even a single one of its leaves could be refined into a Top-grade Innate Spiritual Treasure.
And the energy contained in this seed exceeded even that of the entire Innate Gourd Vine.
Taiyuan was actually willing to give her such a treasure?
"How... how do you have this?"
Nuwa's voice quavered, and shock surged through her heart.
Taiyuan shrugged. "I grow it at home. This is the first seed it's borne, so it's still fresh."
He said it so casually, as though this weren't an extraordinary treasure but just a fruit picked from his own garden.
Nuwa nearly lost her footing.
He grew it at home?
You could grow something like the Chaos Green Lotus?
She suddenly remembered the sprout radiating a chaotic aura that she'd seen on Mount Sumeru the last time she visited. A deep shock rose within her.
So it really had been the Chaos Green Lotus.
So Taiyuan really had brought that legendary treasure back to life.
Just how many secrets was this man still hiding?
"We agreed from the start: you'd become a Saint, and I'd be your Saint Master."
Taiyuan held the seed out to Nuwa, earnestness filling his warm eyes.
"This investment is worth it."
"Take it. Don't let all that merit go to waste."
Nuwa looked at the seed before her, then at Taiyuan's carefree face. Her eyes suddenly began to redden.
She'd lived for ages and seen countless cultivators fight each other to the death over the smallest resources. She'd seen countless so-called friends turn on each other when their interests were at stake.
Yet this man was willing to give her such a precious treasure to help her become a Saint.
The kindness was too great.
She didn't know how she could ever repay it.
"Why?"
Nuwa asked softly, her voice trembling slightly.
"Why are you so good to me?"
"Is it just for the title of Saint Master?"
Taiyuan smiled but didn't answer directly. Instead, he pressed the seed into her hand.
"Don't think about it. Hurry and absorb the merit, or it'll be too late."
"As for why..."
He paused and looked into Nuwa's beautiful eyes, brimming with tears. Then he said softly:
"Because you're worth it."
The simple words stirred an indescribable emotion in Nuwa's heart.
She held the seed tightly, felt the terrifying energy it contained, and took a deep breath.
"Thank you."
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