Merit Can Also Be Exploited

In an instant, the surrounding world's spiritual energy surged in, pouring into Xuanqing's body and repairing the damage he had sustained during the tribulation.

"Crack!"

A crisp sound rang out from within his body, as if some kind of shackle had been completely shattered.

A powerful aura far surpassing that of a Great Yi Mysterious Immortal erupted from Xuanqing, sweeping across the entire Back Mountain.

Golden Immortal—achieved!

Xuanqing slowly opened his eyes, a flash of golden light flickering through them before vanishing.

He could clearly sense the changes in his body, which were worlds apart from his time as a Great Yi Mysterious Immortal. Moreover, his Primordial Spirit had now perfectly fused with his physical form, inseparable from each other.

This was the Golden Immortal—golden in nature, imperishable, unassailable by countless calamities.

From now on, as long as he did not encounter a Tribulation or face targeted opposition from a Sage-level powerhouse, he could share the heavens' lifespan.

The Great Yi Mysterious Immortal, though formidable, still operated within the scope of "refining qi"—accumulating mana and comprehending laws.

But the Golden Immortal was a leap in life's very hierarchy. The Primordial Spirit was anchored in the void; with a single thought, one could know all that transpired within a radius of billions of miles. Mana had also transformed into Golden Immortal mana, its power more than ten times greater than before.

Understanding the gap between a Golden Immortal and a Great Yi Mysterious Immortal, Xuanqing now realized how dangerous his situation had been earlier—after all, Baize was also a Golden Immortal!

"But why didn't he seize the chance to strike then?"

A doubt arose in Xuanqing's mind, but he didn't dwell on it.

"At last, I've taken that crucial step."

Xuanqing rose to his full height and stepped out of his Cave Abode, only to find Luyao waiting timidly in the distance.

Seeing him emerge unharmed, she breathed a sigh of relief and hurried over.

"Congratulations, Master, on breaking through to Golden Immortal!" Luyao said in a crisp voice, her face brimming with joy.

"Joy to us both, joy to us both." Xuanqing nodded with a smile, his mood excellent.

For the next several hundred years, Xuanqing did not venture out again. Instead, he stayed in his Cave Abode to stabilize his Golden Immortal realm and deepened his understanding of the Myriad Qi Returning to Yuan Purification Technique.

During this time, Luyao encountered some bottlenecks in her cultivation after taking human form.

Her original body was a Spiritual Root. Though her aptitude was decent after transformation, without guidance, her path of cultivation was bumpy and halting.

With nothing else to do, Xuanqing casually offered her a few pointers.

As a Golden Immortal now, his insight was extraordinary. His seemingly offhand words struck at the core of Luyao's cultivation issues, clearing her confusion.

With his guidance, Luyao's cultivation advanced by leaps and bounds, and she was deeply grateful to Xuanqing.

Xuanqing also gained a fair amount of merit from this.

Though it was but a drop in the ocean compared to the vast total of merit he needed, every bit counted.

Moreover, it revealed to him a new, sustainable path for harvesting merit.

"If guiding Luyao yields merit, then guiding other Spiritual Roots should work too, right?"

Once this thought took root, it could no longer be suppressed.

He was now the First Disciple under Yuanshi Tianzun. Throughout the entire Back Mountain of Jade Void Palace, aside from the territories of his master and the other two, he could go anywhere.

The Spiritual Roots and immortal herbs growing here beneath Jade Void Palace were countless.

Wasn't this a lush, green field of merit-leeks waiting for him to harvest?

Now a Golden Immortal, Xuanqing could sweep his divine sense and perceive the roots of every blade of grass within a thousand miles.

"Since that's the case, why not run a little experiment first?"

Soon, in a valley rich with spiritual energy, he discovered several promising seedlings.

One was a Seven-Colored Treasure Lotus, which had already developed some intelligence, its lotus leaves gently swaying with the spiritual energy. Another was a Purple-Patterned Gourd Vine, with a small purple gourd hanging from its tendrils. And a clump of Golden Marrow Jade Fungus.

These Spiritual Roots were all of considerable grade, but they were clearly stuck at the threshold of transformation, unable to find the way.

Xuanqing cleared his throat, clasped his hands behind his back, and struck a lofty pose.

"Ahem, how many years have you been cultivating here?"

His voice resonated directly within the intelligence of the Spiritual Roots.

Startled, the plants trembled, their leaves quivering. They could sense the aura of both familiarity and majesty emanating from Xuanqing and dared not be careless.

"R-reply to the Upper Immortal, it has been over thirty thousand years." The Seven-Colored Treasure Lotus's leaves shook even more violently, sending a timid thought.

"About the same for me!" The Purple-Patterned Gourd Vine swayed its tendrils, its thought coming across as simple and honest.

Xuanqing nodded in satisfaction.

"I see that your intelligence has already awakened, yet you remain unable to transform. It seems you lack guidance."

"This Seat is the First Disciple under Yuanshi Tianzun of Jade Void Palace. Seeing your difficult path of cultivation today, I take pity on you and will offer you some guidance, to help you soon attain the Great Dao."

His words carried the proper bearing of an immortal master.

Hearing this, the Spiritual Roots were overcome with excitement.

Yuanshi Tianzun—wasn't that the master of Kunlun Mountain? And this man was actually the disciple of that Second Master? Such a great figure was willing to personally guide them?

"Thank you, Upper Immortal!"

"Upper Immortal, your compassion!"

Xuanqing's heart bloomed with joy, yet his face remained calmly composed.

He held nothing back, sharing his own insights on transformation, combined with the methods of the Myriad Qi Returning to Yuan Purification Technique, explaining them in simple terms for the plants.

After finishing, he flicked his finger, sending several drops of Purifying Mystic Bamboo qi infused with his origin power flying to land at the roots of a few spiritual plants.

"This is my origin qi. It can help you refine your foundation and stabilize your roots. Cultivate diligently, and do not disappoint This Seat's expectations."

Once he finished, Xuanqing could clearly sense a trace of merit power descending from the heavens, merging into his Merit Golden Wheel.

Though it was little, small gains added up over time!

"It worked!" Xuanqing rejoiced inwardly.

In the days that followed, since the Purple Cloud Palace had yet to begin its lectures, Xuanqing registered all the awakened immortal herbs and spiritual roots in the Back Mountain, occasionally visiting to give them private lessons.

His Merit Golden Wheel, at a visible pace, grew noticeably more solid.

But while merit could steadily increase, the speed was still too slow. Relying on this method to become a saint through merit would take until the end of time itself.

"I need to think of another way."

Indeed, Xuanqing also wanted to become a saint—specifically a Merit Saint. He had his own plans for this. The divine powers of a Merit Saint were inseparable from merit, and since he possessed double the merit, walking this path was the most fitting choice.

Soon, the time for the third lecture at the Purple Cloud Palace was approaching.

As a transmigrator, Xuanqing understood full well what this lecture meant.

Treasure Distribution, Saint Seat Determination!

This was the true paramount event of the Honghuang world. Miss this chance, and becoming a saint afterward would be harder than reaching the heavens.

The six prayer mats were already claimed, belonging to the future six Heavenly Dao Saints. The Three Pure Ones were the true lineage of Pangu, Nüwa had the merit of creating humanity, and Jieyin and Zunti had made their great vows. Their saint seats were as stable as mountains.

If Xuanqing wanted to achieve a saint seat in the future, the only variable lay in the Seventh Primordial Purple Qi.

That very purple qi, which was meant to belong to Old Ancestor Hongyun but ultimately brought him deadly calamity!

"Old Ancestor Hongyun..." Xuanqing sighed.

This man was a famous great philanthropist in the Honghuang, a kind-hearted soul. Unfortunately, in a world where the strong preyed on the weak, being a good person came at a cost.

"Forgive me, Daoist Hongyun. Rather than letting that purple qi end up in the hands of a treacherous scoundrel like Kunpeng, it's better for me to keep it safe."

Xuanqing felt no guilt in his heart.

He was no saint; he was merely a transformed spiritual plant trying to survive in the perilous Honghuang world. To achieve this goal, some necessary measures were unavoidable.

Still, taking the Primordial Purple Qi from Hongyun without drawing the attention of Quasi-Saint powerhouses like Kunpeng and Minghe was no easy task.

His current strength was nothing in the eyes of those veteran greats, as the gap in cultivation was far too vast.