Merit Golden Cloud Descends! Nuwa, You're Still Missing One Thing

Above the Eastern Sea, the wind and clouds gradually subsided.

The three overseas immortals fled the sea region in a panic, scrambling and tumbling until their figures vanished at the horizon's edge, leaving behind only a mess and shattered fragments of magic treasures.

East King Duke had long since disappeared without a trace, not even daring to say a word, terrified that Taiyuan might change his mind and strike him again.

Zhunti stood on the spot, the Sky-Turning Shovel propped on his shoulder, steam still rising from his bald head, his face full of lingering satisfaction.

"Elder Brother, just letting them go like that?"

He was a bit unwilling—he'd been having a blast fighting and hadn't had his fill yet.

"Let them go back and spread the word."

Taiyuan put away the Carefree Chair and patted Zhunti on the shoulder. "Killing them is easy, but letting them live to spread the Western Sect's prestige is more useful."

"Besides, the Three Immortal Island's entire stash is here now. Keeping them around is pointless."

As he spoke, he weighed the three heavy storage pouches in his hand, a satisfied smile curling at the corner of his mouth.

This trip had been quite fruitful.

Not only had he obtained East King Duke's Dragon Head Cane, but he'd also extorted the entire wealth of Three Immortal Island.

No loss here.

Hearing this, Zhunti's eyes lit up, and he immediately leaned in.

"Elder Brother, what good stuff is inside?"

Taiyuan shot him a glare. "We'll split it when we get back. Right now, there's business to attend to."

He turned around, looking at the small island shrouded in red silk.

Nuwa stood at the center of the island at that moment, the Mountain and River Diagram slowly rolling up in her hands. The newly born human race reappeared on the beach, trembling as they looked around.

The great battle just now had frightened these newborn little ones badly.

Nuwa gently comforted them, her delicate face radiating a motherly glow.

Just then.

A sudden rumble came from the sky.

That vast, sky-covering Merit Golden Cloud, which had been churning for so long, finally began to coalesce into form.

Countless layers of dark yellow clouds spun like a vortex, eventually converging into a dazzling golden pillar of light that descended from the nine heavens.

The pillar was a hundred zhang thick, and its aura made the entire Eastern Sea tremble.

This was the Heavenly Dao's recognition of the merit from creating humanity.

This was a supreme opportunity that could allow one to attain sainthood on the spot.

Nuwa looked at the golden pillar of light, took a deep breath, and began circulating her mana.

She spread her arms, ready to receive this boundless merit.

The golden pillar of light descended slowly, cascading down like a waterfall, enveloping Nuwa entirely.

Golden light blazed, illuminating the entire sea.

Nuwa's mana began to surge wildly. The bottleneck that had long trapped her at the Perfected Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal realm started to loosen, as if it would break through at any moment.

Sainthood.

Right before her eyes.

But then.

At this critical moment, Nuwa's expression suddenly changed.

She sensed it—she was missing the most crucial thing.

The Primordial Violet Qi.

That was the key to sainthood, the opportunity granted by the Heavenly Dao.

Without the Primordial Violet Qi, no matter how much merit she absorbed, she couldn't transform it into the power to become a saint.

The merit surged wildly within her, but found no outlet, instead beginning to backlash against her physical body and Primordial Spirit.

Nuwa's delicate face instantly turned pale, fine beads of sweat forming on her forehead.

"How can this be?"

A deep despair welled up in her heart.

Everything had been prepared. Sainthood was right in front of her. Why did a problem arise at the very last step?

Was the Heavenly Dao determined to make her fail at the final hurdle?

Just as Nuwa was growing frantic, a lazy voice sounded in her ear.

"Don't panic. I saw this coming long ago."

Taiyuan had appeared beside her at some point, wearing that same carefree, indifferent smile.

"That old riddle-master Hongjun has the Primordial Violet Qi in his hands. He planned to hand it over at the critical moment to sell a favor and make you owe him karma."

"What a pity. He miscalculated one thing."

With that, Taiyuan slowly withdrew a lotus seed from his bosom, radiating a hazy cyan light.

The seed was only the size of a thumb, yet it seemed to bear an entire world within.

On its surface swirled thirty-six profound and inscrutable Dao prohibitions, each containing the terrifying power to split heaven and earth.

Even more stunning was the aura emanating from the seed—purer than Primordial Violet Qi, closer to the very origin of the Dao.

The Chaos Green Lotus Seed.

This was the first seed produced by the Chaos Green Lotus after it sprouted on Mount Sumeru, absorbing vast amounts of Chaos Primordial Qi and water from the Merit Pool.

It held not the opportunity for sainthood granted by the Heavenly Dao, but the Chaos origin that surpassed the Heavenly Dao itself.

Nuwa stared at the seed, completely frozen.

"This is... a Chaos Green Lotus Seed?"

Her voice trembled, her beautiful eyes filled with disbelief.

What was the Chaos Green Lotus?

It was the supreme divine object that nurtured the Pangu God, the number one treasure of the Primordial World. Even a single leaf could be refined into a Top-grade Innate Spiritual Treasure.

And this seed before her contained energy that surpassed even the entire Innate Gourd Vine.

Such a treasure—and Taiyuan was willing to give it to her?

"You... how do you have this?"

Nuwa's voice quivered, a storm raging in her heart.

Taiyuan shrugged. "Grown at home. The first one just came out—still warm."

He said it lightly, as if this weren't some earth-shattering treasure, but just a random fruit picked from his own garden.

Nuwa nearly lost her footing at those words.

Grown at home?

Since when could something like the Chaos Green Lotus be grown?

She suddenly recalled the sprout she'd seen on Mount Sumeru last time, exuding a Chaos aura, and a deep shock surged within her.

So it really was the Chaos Green Lotus.

So Taiyuan had actually managed to grow that legendary treasure.

Just how many more cards did this man have up his sleeve?

"As agreed before—you become a saint, I become the Saint Master."

Taiyuan held the seed out to Nuwa, his warm eyes full of sincerity.

"This investment is worth it."

"Take it. Don't let that merit go to waste."

Nuwa looked at the seed, then at Taiyuan's calm, carefree face, and her eyes suddenly reddened.

She had lived so long, seen countless cultivators fight to the death over a scrap of resources, seen so-called Dao companions turn ruthless at the sight of profit.

But this man before her was willing to part with such a precious treasure just to help her become a saint.

This debt of gratitude was too heavy.

So heavy she didn't know how to repay it.

"Why?"

Nuwa asked softly, a tremor in her voice.

"Why are you so good to me?"

"Just for the title of Saint Master?"

Taiyuan smiled, not answering directly. Instead, he pressed the seed into her hand.

"Don't overthink it. Absorb the merit quickly—any later and it'll be too late."

"As for why..."

He paused, looking into Nuwa's tear-filled eyes, and said gently:

"Because you're worth it."

Four simple words, yet they stirred an indescribable emotion in Nuwa's heart.

She clutched the seed tightly, feeling the terrifying energy within, and took a deep breath.

"Thank you."