This is a Merit act enough to make one a saint; who could resist being tempted upon hearing it? Not even Sage could.
Jiang Yuan spoke so frankly, leaving Zhenyuanzi and Hong Yun speechless. Was he really not afraid they might have malicious intentions and try to rob him?
Or has their reputation in the Primordial World become so good that people can immediately lower their guard and trust them without reservation?
"You flatter me, Master. There's no such thing as stealing. This act of Merit has always been there; I just discovered it first. It doesn't mean it's mine."
"Only when a solution is found and put into action, resulting in a significant improvement in the Western Lands environment, can this Merit act be said to belong to me."
"Until these things are accomplished, this act of Merit is ownerless, and anyone can try to take it."
Jiang Yuan said indifferently that although he could see that governing the Western Lands well would bring great Merit, he really couldn't do it with his current strength.
Since that's the case, he might as well publicize this Merit act and let more people know about it. In this way, all the powerful people who hear this news and benefit from it will owe him a debt of gratitude.
If the spiritual environment in the Western Lands were to change as a result, all Western Lands beings would also have to bear some responsibility for it.
As for why he didn't hide the news and wait until he had the ability to do this Merit deed himself.
Because it's unnecessary.
As he said, this Merit act has always existed, and he is certainly not the only one in the Primordial World who could discover it.
A secret is something that only one person knows; something that is known by many people is no longer a secret.
Since none of these are exclusive reports, there's no need to hide them. It's better to announce them first and maximize your own benefits.
This is why Jiang Yuan took the initiative to inform Zhenyuanzi Hong Yun of this news. It would be fine if they didn't take any action, but if they did, they would owe him a favor that they would have to repay later.
Even so, it's still quite astonishing.
Zhenyuanzi sighed. He admitted that Jiang Yuan's words made sense, but if he were in his shoes, he would definitely not be willing to tell anyone if he knew this news. He would keep it to himself and act silently until he could no longer hide it.
"Think about it carefully, Zhenyuanzi is probably going to take advantage of you this time. This act of Merit you mentioned is practically tailor-made for him."
"Few in the primordial Primordial World could govern the Western Lands and restore it to its former glory, and Zhenyuanzi was one of them."
As if realizing something, Hong Yun couldn't help but laugh.
This act of Merit would indeed be difficult for Jiang Yuan to accomplish, but Zhenyuanzi is different. He cultivates the innate earth and wood path, and his forte is environmental management.
Let him govern the Western Lands; it's a perfect fit for his expertise. If he keeps at it, he'll eventually transform the Western Lands completely.
"Indeed, I have benefited greatly from this act of Merit, young friend. It is not merely a matter of being destined for me; one could even say that my path to enlightenment lies within it."
Zhenyuanzi thanked Jiang Yuan with a solemn expression.
Jiang Yuan spoke of a great act of Merit, but to him it was a supreme path that led directly to the primordial Hunyuan Realm.
This is guiding him towards enlightenment. When it comes to enlightenment, even a casual remark can have a tremendous karmic consequence.
"You flatter me, Great Immortal. The Western Lands is right before your eyes. Even without my reminder, with your intelligence, you would surely discover this soon enough."
Jiang Yuan humbly replied that what he said was true; Zhenyuanzi's environment destined him to eventually embark on the path of governing the Western Lands.
"Even I can imagine that's a long way off. But the path to enlightenment is best taken sooner rather than later. The sooner you know, the greater your chances of success will be."
Therefore, young friend, there is no need for modesty.
Zhenyuanzi Zhenyuanzi first bowed to Jiang Yuan, then solemnly said, "I cannot express my gratitude enough. In the future, if you ever need my help, I will do my utmost."
What is cause and effect?
It is a shackle that binds people, firmly confining them to the world, preventing them from transcending it and achieving the supreme state of primordial Hunyuan Realm.
Today, Jiang Yuan bestowed favor upon Zhenyuanzi, guiding him to enlightenment, thus forging a great karmic bond with him.
If he wants to cultivate into Primordial Daluo Golden Immortal, he must settle this karmic debt. There are two ways to settle this debt: one is to repay the favor, and the other is to kill his benefactor.
The former is not easy, nor is the latter, and both carry significant risks. A kind-hearted person like Zhenyuanzi, who cares about his reputation, would certainly not choose the latter.
Therefore, he could only try to repay the favor by helping Jiang Yuan when needed, thus settling the score.
"If that's how it is, then I won't stand on ceremony."
This time, Jiang Yuan didn't stand on ceremony and readily agreed. Firstly, he genuinely needed Zhenyuanzi's favor, and secondly, he had no choice but to accept.
Giving without expecting anything in return is the way of a wicked person cultivates. Therefore, if Jiang Yuan were to refuse again, Zhenyuanzi would see it as deliberately helping him achieve enlightenment.
The enmity of being blocked from the road is irreconcilable, and this is forcing Zhenyuanzi to kill him, so Jiang Yuan dared not refuse again.
Actually, doing good deeds is quite difficult; you can't do it without expecting anything in return, and you can't do too much good either.
Not seeking anything in return forces others to repay kindness with enmity. Conversely, bestowing too much kindness, making it impossible for the recipient to repay, also forces them to repay kindness with enmity.
For example, Hong Yun's kindness was too great, and the Two Sages of the West could not repay it at all, so they had no choice but to let him die.
"You should let Di Yuan sit down first. It's not right to keep him standing without offering him a seat."
After the two finished speaking, Hong Yun smiled.
"Indeed, it was my fault. How could I have treated our distinguished guest so poorly?"
"Come, let's sit down and talk in detail. I have many ideas in mind about how to govern the Western Lands, and I'd like to share them with you, young friend."
"As we all know, my friend is a man of great wisdom. After listening to my thoughts, he will surely be able to fill in the gaps in my understanding."
At this moment, Zhenyuanzi realized that he had not yet invited Jiang Yuan to sit down after he came in.
So he quickly took out a futon and placed it next to himself and Hong Yun, intending to sit down and discuss the Dao with Jiang Yuan.
At the same time, he instructed the boys beside him to fetch a few more Ginseng Fruit to entertain Jiang Yuan.
"I don't have anything good here, just a fruit tree, born of the blessings of heaven and earth, whose fruit is quite delicious. Although it is of no benefit to cultivation, it can satisfy one's cravings."
After Jiang Yuan sat down, Zhenyuanzi smiled.
The fruit tree he was referring to was naturally the Ginseng Fruit Tree. At that time, the environment had not changed, and the fruit produced by the Ginseng Fruit was still considered to be naturally occurring. Therefore, both the quantity and efficacy of the fruit far surpassed those of later generations.
In later generations, the Ginseng Fruit ripens only once every ten thousand years, and only thirty fruits are produced. Eating it cannot even grant immortality; it can only make one live to be forty-seven thousand years old.
However, nowadays, the Ginseng Fruit takes a million years to ripen, yielding only 360 fruits. After a mortal eats it, they can immediately achieve the peak of Heavenly Immortal immortality. Those who have achieved the peak of Heavenly Immortal immortality can immediately become Primordial Unity Golden Immortal after eating it.