As the last echoes of the Dao faded through Longevity Mountain, like the final glow of sunset sinking beyond the horizon, the countless beings on the platform gradually emerged from their deep contemplation of the Great Dao Insights.
A brief silence settled over the mountain, as though heaven and earth were still savoring the Dao's resonance after nine hundred years.
Then, no one knew who began it, but every listener, regardless of cultivation or race, bowed deeply from the heart toward the ancient, imposing figure on the high platform. Their voices began scattered, then swiftly joined into a vast, reverent chorus that echoed through the valley:
"Thank you, Immortal Zhenyuanzi, for sharing the Dao with us!"
The rolling cry brimmed with sincere gratitude and heartfelt respect.
His nine hundred years of systematic teaching had lit a lamp for them in the darkness. It had not only resolved countless doubts along their paths of cultivation but also shown them a clear way forward. It was as though he had given them new lives.
Tears shone in many eyes, born of the joy and emotion of hearing the Great Dao and glimpsing the path ahead.
At the very instant the assembled beings offered their heartfelt thanks, the clear sky Above the Nine Heavens suddenly responded. The void trembled faintly, and a vast golden pillar of light, majestic and utterly impartial, appeared.
Without warning, it pierced layer after layer of cloud and passed unhindered through Longevity Mountain's mysterious innate Guardian Formation. As though descending directly from the Heavenly Dao Origin, it fell straight upon Zhenyuanzi and enveloped him where he sat on the stone platform!
The pillar blazed brilliantly without hurting the eyes. It held an incomparably pure, warm, and peaceful aura of merit, along with the Heavenly Dao's supreme authority.
Wherever its golden light reached, plants flourished with renewed vigor, and even the rocks seemed to gain a touch of spirit.
The Heavenly Dao had recognized Zhenyuanzi's work in teaching the beings of the Western Lands, awakening their wisdom, guiding their paths, and enriching the Primordial Wilderness's cultivation traditions. This was its reward of merit!
The Merit Golden Light shone so brightly that all of Longevity Mountain seemed edged in everlasting gold. Even the drifting clouds took on a golden glow, making for a sacred sight.
The beings below sensed the immense righteous force of heaven and earth within the Merit Golden Light, as well as the Heavenly Dao's approval. Their reverence for Zhenyuanzi reached its peak, and many bowed their heads once more without thinking.
Yet faced with this vast merit, enough to make any Primordial Great Power envious and drive them to fight for it, Zhenyuanzi did not immediately absorb it to advance his cultivation, as others might have expected. Nor did he use it to forge a tremendously powerful Merit Spiritual Treasure.
He merely looked up calmly at the pillar of merit connecting heaven and earth. His deep gaze seemed to see through the golden light to the Heavenly Dao's very nature.
Then he formed a mysterious hand seal before his chest, drawing on his absolute command over the earth and his precise control of energy.
The surging Merit Golden Light, vast as a river, seemed to meet an invisible guiding force. Instead of spreading unchecked, it flowed toward him like a hundred rivers returning to the sea. With his Supreme Dharma Power, he slowly compressed and refined it.
Golden light swirled between his hands and fingers, its radiance growing ever more restrained. At last, it became a golden orb no bigger than a fist, yet extraordinarily dense. It flowed like liquid gold and gave off a soft glow that seemed eternal.
Great Dao Runes flickered in and out of existence across the orb's surface, wondrous beyond measure.
Zhenyuanzi carefully stored it deep within his Sleeve Universe and placed several seals upon it, putting it away for the time being.
He had his reasons. The Power of Merit was infinitely profound, one of the Heavenly Dao's highest rewards for those who did good and contributed to heaven and earth.
It could strengthen his innate foundation, temper his Primordial Spirit and Dharma power, offset Karmic Retribution when he faced a great calamity, or win the Heavenly Dao's unseen protection and favor. At the right moment, it could even be used to forge a special sacred treasure of merit. Its possibilities were immense, making it one of his most valuable reserves.
Absorbing it now would bring an immediate increase in cultivation, but at his current Great Luo Peak level, the gain would not be decisive. It would be something of a waste.
If he saved it for a critical moment, it might prove powerful enough to turn the tables. That would be worth far more than absorbing it now.
Zhenyuanzi's teaching on Longevity Mountain had prompted the Heavenly Dao to bestow merit. Though the disturbance was mostly confined to the Western Lands, the distinctive pulse of Merit Golden Light and the sense of the Heavenly Dao's approval could not escape the keen divine senses of the Primordial Wilderness's most powerful cultivators.
In the deepest reaches of the East Sea Dragon Palace, Ancestor Dragon's immense body shifted slightly in the dark abyss, stirring the currents. A clear trace of surprise flashed through his enormous eyes, and his deep murmur echoed through the palace:
"Teaching the Dao can bring down merit from heaven? This Zhenyuanzi... he's found a path unlike any other."
But he soon shook his head, and the light in his eyes settled.
The Dragon Clan had its own ancient, powerful bloodline inheritance and its pride. Its core Dao concerned the rise and fall of the clan and could never be shared with the world, much less taught to potential rivals. The method might earn merit, but it fundamentally did not suit the Dragon Clan's strategy for survival and growth.
At the heart of the Immortal Volcano, Yuanfeng perched atop the ever-burning Wutong Divine Wood. Her eyes, cold as ice crystals, seemed to reflect the distant Western Lands and the brief yet unmistakable flash of Merit Golden Light.
"Merit... it is a shortcut," she murmured, a trace of complicated emotion in her voice. "What a pity."
The Phoenix Race stood in much the same position as the Dragon Clan. Its supreme bloodline inheritance was the foundation of its strength. She could not expose its core teachings for the sake of merit and give her rivals a chance to discover its strengths and weaknesses. The cost would far outweigh the gain.
Auspicious clouds still curled around Kirin Cliff. Standing atop Five-Colored Auspicious Clouds, First Kirin gazed toward the Western Lands, his eyes deep, as though he could see through boundless space to Longevity Mountain.
His expression remained calm. In the end, he merely smiled, and his resonant yet gentle voice rang out across the cliff. "Each has their own opportunities. They cannot be forced. Our race's path lies in Great Virtue Carrying Things: bringing blessings to All Living Beings and strengthening our foundations."
The Kirin Race followed a righteous path of accumulating auspiciousness, growing the race, securing its power, and blessing the land. Teaching the Dao to gain merit had its virtues, but it was not the heart of the race's Dao. Blindly copying it might only cause them to lose their way.
The leaders of the Three Races were all surprised, even a little envious, that Zhenyuanzi had received Heavenly Dao Merit. But their races' positions, core interests, and the fundamental nature of their own paths meant they neither would nor could imitate him.
Thus Zhenyuanzi's public teaching, which benefited the beings of the Western Lands, became in some sense an unprecedented feat since the creation of heaven and earth. At least in this age, it stood alone.
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