Heavenly Dao Merit

The first to pledge allegiance was a Stone Spirit Race. They were not flesh-and-blood living beings, but beings transformed from sentient mountain rock. They were huge, immensely powerful, and possessed excellent defense and attack capability. Their only drawback was their slow movement speed, and there were very few Stone Spirits that had newly awakened intelligence—only two in total.

Seeing their honest nature and their talent for nurturing mineral veins, Lin Yan gladly accepted them. Even if they could not cultivate mineral veins, they could still serve as gatekeepers for Canyon Home in the future.

Next came several Crimson Blood Ginseng, commonly known as Ginseng Dolls. They possessed the bodies of Ten Thousand Year Old Ginseng. Though they had yet to take human form, they resembled children. They could communicate with plants and trees, and their ability to stimulate spiritual plants was even greater than that of Jade Spirit Deer. They were also particularly skilled at tending spiritual roots.

They had no real means of defense or powerful attack capability, and no one knew how they had survived in this land overrun by ferocious beasts. But with them joining, the spiritual roots within the community finally had professionals to care for them.

Besides that, Lin Yan also absorbed some solitary Spirit Beasts into the community. Every one of these Spirit Beasts had a special skill, and Lin Yan welcomed these technical specialists without reservation—the more, the better.

For these newly joined members, Lin Yan assigned each of them different work according to their abilities and Racial Talents. The Earth Dragon Community did not support idlers now. Wasn't even the noble Kirin Young Master constantly serving as the community's free enforcer?

After purifying the several areas most severely eroded by Malevolent Qi, the ecological environment throughout the outer area of the canyon underwent earth-shaking changes. As Spirit Qi steadily revived and spread, more and more places began to be covered in green. On Lin Yan's Mini Ecology Simulator, the gray areas that had once occupied most of the screen began to be replaced by green.

As the environment outside the canyon steadily improved, the living beings of the Earth Dragon Community gained a much broader space to live in. In the past, whenever they left the canyon, they always worried about ambushes by ferocious beasts and had to tread carefully with every step.

Now, when they left the canyon, not only did they no longer need to worry about their safety, they even began actively searching for traces of ferocious beasts. And whenever such traces were found, that overwhelmingly powerful Kirin Senior would rush over and wipe them out directly.

More importantly, the heaven and earth outside the canyon were simply too vast. Innate Beings all revered freedom. The canyon was wonderful, but it was too small. It was fine for short stays, but being cooped up in such a cramped place for too long would inevitably feel stifling.

Yet if they were told never to return to the canyon again, they would be unwilling as well. After all, the Spirit Qi within the canyon was the densest for ten thousand miles around. Cultivating there for one day was worth a hundred days outside.

Lin Yan vigorously encouraged them to venture out more. After all, he had long regarded the region outside the canyon as his own territory. The palm and back of the hand were both flesh; as long as it was his territory, it had to be developed.

Besides, if the community members stayed in the canyon all day, they would do nothing but consume the canyon's Spirit Qi without producing any value. It was better to encourage them to go out more. After all, simply by traveling outside, they were invisibly improving the environment beyond.

As the territory continued to expand, frequently traveling back and forth became rather troublesome. Restoring an area's ecological environment was a long-term process. It required people to remain stationed there for extended periods and continually maintain the still-fragile ecosystem.

Therefore, after "discussing" the matter with the community Elders, Lin Yan decided to adopt a management model of "divided-area responsibility and regular rotation."

The community members were divided into several teams. Each team was led by an elder, such as one of Earth Dragon's underlings, Deer King White Horn, or Sparrow Queen Zhi Nan, and formed into a management team consisting of different races. They were then stationed in several key areas to handle daily patrols, ecological maintenance, and guard against possible sneak attacks by scattered ferocious beasts.

Once a rotation group's term of stationing ended, they could rotate back to the canyon to rest and recuperate.

After trying this system for a while, everyone gradually came to enjoy this rotating stationing lifestyle.

The vast space outside the canyon allowed them to gallop and fly freely. When they grew tired of wandering outside, or felt that they were nearing a breakthrough, they could return to the canyon and cultivate in peace.

Every community member had a nest of their own in the canyon, and that nest was their true home.

The model of division of labor, cooperation, and regular rotation proved remarkably effective. Not only did it enable the ecological environment outside the canyon to be managed efficiently, it also gradually integrated the different races within the Earth Dragon Community.

The Earth Dragon Community also gradually transformed from a gathering place for living beings into the "rudiments of a civilization" with vast territory and joint governance by multiple races.

Just as the governance of the Earth Dragon Community was gradually getting on track and its territory of ten thousand miles brimmed with life force, a strange phenomenon suddenly appeared between heaven and earth.

That day, the clear sky abruptly became incomparably pristine, and an indescribable sense of solemn majesty enveloped all directions. Immediately afterward, gentle golden pillars of light descended without warning from the Nine Heavens toward the Earth Dragon Community.

"What is that?" Lin Yan, who had been discussing the wonders of the Earth Movement Technique with Mo Xuan, suddenly raised his head, confusion flashing in his eyes.

Before he could react, an incomparably thick golden pillar of light, condensed almost into substance, instantly entered his body.

"What is this..." Lin Yan cried out.

Yet after the golden light entered his body, it did him no harm. Instead, it continuously cleansed his physical body and nourished his Primordial Spirit...

The Earth Spirit Seal that had been floating in his sea of consciousness also let out cheerful hums after being enveloped by the golden light. The mountain-and-river patterns on the seal seemed to come alive, radiating an even more profound light.

It was not just Lin Yan. Mo Xuan, the nine earth dragon subordinates, Deer King White Horn, Sparrow Queen Zhi Pu, Bee Queen Jin Ji, Bamboo King Qingxin... Every community member who had worked for the revival of this land, whether within the canyon or at camps tens of thousands of miles away, was at this moment "ambushed" by golden pillars of light entering their bodies.

"Eh? This seems to be Heavenly Dao Merit? I actually received Heavenly Dao Merit."

Mo Xuan suddenly cried out in delight as he was enveloped in golden light. At that moment, Auspicious Qi rose around him, brilliant seven-colored rosy clouds flourished, and even his Kirin Bloodline seemed to have been somewhat purified by the Merit Golden Light.

"Boss! This golden light feels so good!" Lin Er excitedly rolled his massive body around within the golden light. As the light entered his body, the Origin Power within him also increased tremendously.

Lin San, who was likewise enveloped in Merit Golden Light, appeared much steadier. He remained nestled in place, absorbing the Merit Golden Light with all his strength. The Earthy Yellow Radiance on his scales visibly became more solid and weighty.

The other earth dragon subordinates also each gained something, feeling as though they had all become a little smarter.

As for Spirit Beasts like Deer King White Horn and Sparrow Queen Zhi Nan, their cultivation progress had originally been extremely slow due to the limitations of their innate foundations. But after the golden light covered their bodies, not only did their cultivation surge, even the grades of their bloodlines and souls seemed to have risen to a certain extent.

Merit Golden Light was the Heavenly Dao's reward for living beings who benefited the development of the Primordial World. Only by doing things recognized by the Heavenly Dao could one receive Merit Golden Light.

Yet over the years, Lin Yan believed he had done many things beneficial to Primordial Heaven and Earth, but he had never once received a reward from the Heavenly Dao. He had not expected the Heavenly Dao to reward him this time.

"Has the Heavenly Dao finally noticed me? Or has it, like my Earth Dragon Community, begun to complete all sorts of evaluation functions?"

"But whatever the reason, this Merit Golden Light is absolutely a wonderful thing, like a Ten-Complete Great Tonic Pill. Since it is something good, naturally, the more the better."