Increase the Population Once More

It turned out that merit, too, came in different ranks.

The highest was Creation Merit. It was obtained by Great God Pangu when he opened up the world of Honghuang and transformed his body into all things; it was unfathomably profound. The Three Pure Ones and the Twelve Ancestral Mages had inherited this kind of merit, which was why they possessed such foundations.

Next came Heavenly Dao Merit. It was gained by following the great course of the Heavenly Dao and undertaking deeds such as completing Heaven and Earth, creating living beings, and organizing the laws. Nüwa creating humanity and Houtu transforming into reincarnation both belonged to this category. Heavenly Dao Merit was the purest; it could be used to raise one's cultivation, refine Magic Treasures, and even offset karmic sin.

Third was Mystic Yellow Merit. This merit originated from the earth. Protecting the earth veins of Honghuang and saving its living beings could both earn it. This merit was incomparably weighty, excelled most at defense, and possessed endless wondrous uses.

Beyond these, there were also Teaching Merit, Fortune Merit, and many other varieties, each acquired through different means.

This spark of insight raised Xuanqing's understanding of merit by several levels.

"You bear Double Merit Fortune. This is the favor of the Heavenly Dao. How you make good use of this advantage will be the path you walk in the future."

Yuanshi Tianzun's voice rang by his ear.

Xuanqing came back to his senses and gave Yuanshi Tianzun a deep bow.

This time, his gratitude came from the bottom of his heart.

Giving someone a fish was not as good as teaching them how to fish. The spark of insight Master Yuanshi had bestowed upon him was nothing short of a heavenly gift.

"Disciple Xuanqing thanks Master for your guidance!"

After saying this, he kowtowed once more before slowly rising.

As he walked out of the Jade Void Palace's Main Hall, Xuanqing reflected on Master Yuanshi's final discourse on merit. He felt as though his entire being had become much clearer.

"Creation Merit, Heavenly Dao Merit, Mystic Yellow Merit... Tsk, tsk. These waters run far too deep."

With a sigh in his heart, Xuanqing returned to his Cave Abode.

"Master, you're back." Luyao immediately came forward, holding a pot of freshly warmed immortal tea.

Xuanqing nodded, took the tea, and drained it in one gulp. Then he instructed, "I'll be entering seclusion for a few days to refine some things. Stand guard outside and don't let anyone disturb me."

"Yes, Master." Luyao obediently agreed and withdrew from the Cave Abode.

Xuanqing sat down cross-legged. With a thought, three Spiritual Treasures glowing with gentle radiance floated before him.

They were precisely the three Postnatal Merit Spiritual Treasures that had thrown themselves into his arms atop Treasure Distribution Cliff.

One was a long spear entirely golden in color. Profound Dao Patterns were carved across its shaft, and cold light flickered from its tip, carrying a sharp aura that could shatter evil and slay demons.

One was a Three-foot Azure Sword. Its blade was like a pool of autumn water, clear enough to see through, emanating a pure aura capable of purifying all things.

The last was a bead the size of a dragon's eye, round and translucent. Within it, boundless Merit Golden Light seemed to circulate.

"At last, I have a few handy weapons."

Looking at the three treasures, Xuanqing was over the moon.

Although his Master possessed the Pangu Banner, he couldn't exactly call for backup every time something happened, could he? That would be far too embarrassing. His own strength was the foundation.

He delayed no longer, immediately circulating his Primordial Spirit and beginning the refinement process.

Vast magical power surged toward the long spear, and the effects of Double Merit Fortune manifested to the fullest at this moment.

For an ordinary Golden Immortal, refining a Postnatal Merit Spiritual Treasure would take at least several hundred, if not a thousand, years.

Yet when Xuanqing branded his Primordial Spirit onto the spear, he encountered almost no resistance.

It was as though the spear had found a family member it had been separated from for countless years. It willingly opened its heart, allowing Xuanqing's Primordial Spirit to roam freely within.

The information contained within the spear then flooded into Xuanqing's mind.

This spear was named Po Sha. It had been formed from Heavenly Dao Merit and possessed extremely powerful suppressive effects against all Sha Qi, Demon Qi, and karmic sin.

In merely a few days, Xuanqing had initially refined the divine spear and stored it within his Primordial Spirit.

"So fast!"

Even Xuanqing himself was startled. This efficiency was simply absurd.

Without stopping, he turned his gaze toward the long sword and the treasure bead.

He repeated the process.

The long sword was named Jing Shi. Its attributes matched those of his true form, the Purifying Mystic Bamboo. It was likewise a sharp tool for purifying filth, and its strikes were soundless, making it especially suited for assassination.

The bead, meanwhile, was named the Great Dao Pearl. It combined offense and defense. When deployed, it could transform into Mystic Yellow Qi to protect its wielder, impervious to countless techniques; it could also draw upon the power of merit to smash enemies, with force comparable to an ancient divine mountain.

Several hundred more years passed, and he had initially refined all three Merit Spiritual Treasures.

Xuanqing could feel that he now shared a blood-linked connection with the three Magic Treasures and could unleash no small portion of their power.

"Not bad, not bad. If I face a Golden Immortal again now, it shouldn't be a problem."

Satisfied, he rose to his feet, stretched his limbs, and prepared to leave seclusion.

But the instant his divine sense swept out of the Cave Abode, he froze.

Outside the Cave Abode, besides Luyao, there were several unfamiliar auras.

Though these auras were not powerful, they brimmed with vitality—and each carried a trace of a feeling he found deeply familiar.

Xuanqing walked out of the Cave Abode and saw Luyao standing there, looking somewhat at a loss.

Before her stood three young men and women who looked somewhat restrained.

One young man wore a green Taoist robe, his bearing as steady as a mountain; the other two each possessed their own distinct traits.

The moment they saw Xuanqing emerge, their faces immediately filled with incomparable excitement and reverence, and they dropped to their knees in unison.

"We pay our respects to Master!"

"Master?" Xuanqing was a little bewildered. "You are?"

The young man in the lead, dressed in blue robes, raised his head and said respectfully, "In reply to Master, I am the green pine before your cave abode. Through Master's enlightenment in the past, I was able to take human form today. My name is Song Xuan."

The other two also introduced themselves. One was the purple bamboo beside the mountain stream of He Mountain, while the other was a lingzhi growing beneath Jade Void Palace.

Only then did Xuanqing remember.

Previously, for the sake of merit, he had enlightened some of the flowers, grasses, and trees around him, expounding the Dao to them or nourishing them with the aura of merit.

He had not expected that an act born of self-interest would allow them to take human form ahead of time.

"Rise." Xuanqing raised a hand, and a gentle stream of magical power lifted them up.

Looking at these transformed beings before him, who were like newborn infants and filled with dependence and worship toward him, Xuanqing suddenly felt something strange in his heart.

"Since you took human form because of me, you may remain at He Mountain from now on as registered disciples," Xuanqing said calmly.

"Many thanks, Master!" The three were instantly overjoyed.

To remain at a Sage's sacred grounds and become disciples under a Sage's First Disciple—this was a heaven-defying fortune!

Xuanqing looked at them and began to make plans.

He was about to set out to travel through Honghuang, and He Mountain needed people to tend it.

He looked at Luyao and Song Xuan, who appeared the most steady and composed.

"Luyao, Song Xuan."

"Here!" The two hurriedly responded.

"I will soon journey through Honghuang, and I do not know when I will return. After I leave, He Mountain will be jointly managed by the two of you."

Xuanqing said, "I have several basic cultivation methods here. Take them and cultivate diligently; do not slack off. Should foreign enemies invade, you may activate the formation I leave behind to resist them."

As he spoke, he flicked his finger, and several streaks of spiritual light entered their brows.

"We shall respectfully obey Master's decree!" Luyao and Song Xuan solemnly bowed.

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