A Tenth of the Merit (Please Follow, Please Vote)

Rumble!

Sure enough, the moment Xuan Heng's thought arose, a thunderous voice of the Heavenly Dao rang out from above the nine heavens. The thunder was not piercing, yet it seemed to explode within the minds of every living being in the Primordial World.

No matter where they were or what they were doing, every living being in the Primordial World heard that heavenly thunderclap.

Above the firmament, a golden sea of merit clouds surged forth. Boundless rosy light illuminated the mountains and rivers of the Primordial World, and along the great riverbanks, grass and trees bowed low.

Within the distant mountain forests, countless beings instinctively fell to their knees. Even the river water became tranquil at that moment.

The Human Race that Nuwa had just created did not yet know what was happening. They looked blankly toward the dazzling golden radiance in the sky.

Nuwa stood before the Human Race, still holding the gourd vine she had used to create them. Clear radiance of creation spread outward from her in widening circles.

Xuan Heng stepped forward a short distance and clearly saw faint flecks of violet emerge between Nuwa's brows. Then Primordial Violet Qi manifested above her head before immediately flying back into her Primordial Spirit.

Although the Primordial Violet Qi had appeared for only an instant, the sea of merit clouds in the sky seemed to have found an outlet. It came crashing down in a rolling torrent, charging straight toward Nuwa.

As the merit entered her body, Nuwa's aura began to climb steadily.

The bottleneck at the peak of the Quasi-Saint realm seemed nonexistent before that vast merit and was directly blasted open.

The Great Dao of Creation unfolded behind her. Countless phantoms of living beings appeared and vanished—the frail mountain spirits, startled little beasts, nameless small tribes crushed by the aftermath of the conflict between the Witch and Demon races, and the Human Race before her that had only just been born. Everything she had seen while traveling through the Primordial World over the years ultimately transformed into the Dao charm of creation surrounding Nuwa.

Holy might slowly rose.

Along both banks of the great river, the spiritual qi of heaven and earth receded like a tide, only to return to stillness the next moment.

Xuan Heng felt his entire body sink. This pressure bore no killing intent, yet for an instant, every Dao beneath heaven and earth seemed to lower itself before it.

As Nuwa's holy might swept across the entire Primordial World, countless great powers within it simultaneously raised their heads.

On Kunlun Mountain, Taiqing, Yuanshi, and Tongtian opened their eyes from seclusion.

Taiqing looked toward the direction in which Nuwa had attained the Dao and softly said, "Junior Sister Nuwa has become a Saint."

Yuanshi's expression turned solemn.

"By creating humans, Junior Sister Nuwa has become a Saint. She has found her own path to sainthood. We must hasten as well."

The Green Duckweed Sword behind Tongtian gave a faint tremble.

He watched for a while, then suddenly smiled. "Fourth Brother actually followed her all the way here. He was even present when Junior Sister Nuwa became a Saint."

Yuanshi glanced at him.

"He lent out the gourd vine. He was already fated to be involved in this matter."

In the western lands, Receiving Guide and Zhunti also opened their eyes at the same time.

Zhunti looked toward the east, a complicated expression flashing through his eyes.

"Nuwa has become a Saint."

Receiving Guide lowered his gaze and remained silent for a moment.

"One of the Saint positions has already been settled."

Zhunti furrowed his brows tightly. They both possessed Primordial Violet Qi, yet the west was barren, and their opportunity to become Saints had yet to reveal itself.

Nuwa had taken the first step. To them, it was as though a stretch of that road to heaven had suddenly been illuminated, but at the same time, the urgency in their hearts grew even heavier.

On the Sun Star, above the Demon Court.

Di Jun stood with his hands behind his back, the River Map and Luo Script slowly rotating behind him. Taiyi stood at his side, while the Chaos Bell shed a faint golden glow.

The two of them tacitly looked toward the direction where Nuwa had become a Saint.

"Fellow Daoist Nuwa has become a Saint. I wonder whether this is fortune or disaster. I invited her many times, yet Fellow Daoist Nuwa never joined our Demon Court. Not long ago, she even clashed with our subordinates over the Demon Court's expansion."

Di Jun was not in a good mood.

"Big Brother, don't overthink it. Fellow Daoist Nuwa becoming a Saint may pose less of a threat than before she became one. I believe the Heavenly Dao and the Dao Ancestor will not allow Saints to casually interfere in the affairs of the Primordial World."

Taiyi was not overly worried. Saints were far too powerful compared to them; if the Heavenly Dao did not impose restrictions, the structure of the Primordial World would likely change drastically before long.

By the great river, Nuwa slowly opened her eyes.

At this moment, she was no longer merely one of the three thousand guests of Purple Cloud Palace.

She was the first Heavenly Dao Saint of the Primordial World, as well as the Holy Mother of the Human Race. Thanks to the butterfly effect caused by Xuan Heng, Nuwa had not entered the Demon Court to become its Empress Nuwa.

Xuan Heng stepped forward and solemnly bowed.

"Congratulations to Saint Nuwa on attaining the Dao."

Hearing Xuan Heng speak, the first humans also prostrated themselves one after another.

"Congratulations to Holy Mother on attaining the Dao!"

Nuwa lowered her eyes to look at the Human Race. The holy might in her gaze receded, leaving behind only warmth.

"You were created by me. From this day forth, you shall be called humans."

"Though the Human Race is weak, you must stand on your own between heaven and earth."

"May you remember this day, your legacy unbroken, generation after generation without end."

The Human Race could not yet fully comprehend the weight of those words, but instinctively, they bowed even lower.

"I will heed Holy Mother's teachings."

Nuwa raised a hand, and a clear radiance of creation descended.

The earthy scent on those newly born humans was gradually washed away, and the vitality within their bodies stabilized as well.

Three thousand innate humans stood at the very front of the crowd. Their eyes shone with clear spiritual light, and their auras were steady.

The acquired humans gathered around them. Some were still curiously examining their own hands, some lowered their heads to touch the soil beneath their feet, while others stared blankly at the endlessly rushing river.

Watching this scene, Xuan Heng suddenly felt a faint stir in his heart.

He knew what these people would face in the future. He also knew that, from such a weak beginning, they would step by step make their way to the center of heaven and earth in the Primordial World.

But just then, the sea of merit clouds across the Nine Heavens churned once more. The Nine Heavens Resting Soil and the Innate Gourd Vine each received a wisp of nourishing merit.

Afterward, a stream of golden merit separated from the cloud sea and descended toward Xuan Heng. This merit was not much, accounting for roughly a tenth of Nuwa's merit in attaining sainthood.

Xuan Heng did not evade it. He would not use merit for cultivation, but he could use it to refine spiritual treasures, nourish spiritual roots, or even make up for karma.

The instant the merit entered his body, the Law Dao Seed between Xuan Heng's brows gave a slight tremor. Instinctively, it wanted to refine this mass of merit.

Xuan Heng forcibly suppressed the urge to refine it. With a wave of his hand, the Purifying White Lotus appeared, and he guided the golden light of merit into its lotus dais.

The twelve-grade lotus petals slowly unfurled. White light intertwined with golden light, and the originally gentle aura of purification gained a weighty air of merit.

The moment the merit sank into the depths of the lotus heart, Xuan Heng's mind suddenly stirred.

At the deepest core of the Purifying White Lotus, the green lotus seed that had lain dormant for so long gave a faint tremble.

It was a remnant legacy left behind by the Chaos Green Lotus. All these years, it had remained hidden deep within the Purifying White Lotus, retaining only the faintest trace of green, like a seed that had yet to truly awaken.

Now that the merit of creating humans had descended, that trace of green finally changed. A wisp of golden merit light was slowly absorbed by the green lotus seed.

A glow of green light rose from the lotus seed after it absorbed the merit. Though it was still faint, it had become far more solid than before.

Xuan Heng quietly sensed that slight change. This green lotus seed was tied to matters of immense consequence; a mere tenth of the merit could never truly nurture it to maturity. Yet today's merit from creating humans had already roused it from dormancy for an instant.

If the Purifying White Lotus were to truly embark upon the path of returning to its origin in the future, it would need more opportunities—and Xuan Heng's own Great Dao would need to keep advancing as well.

Xuan Heng gathered his thoughts and continued sealing the remaining merit into the depths of the lotus dais.

The Purifying White Lotus slowly closed, and that point of green light deep within its lotus heart sank back into silence.

The instant the merit of creating humans completely settled, the earth veins deep beneath the distant shores of the East Sea suddenly gave a faint tremor.

The dried gourd vine bark buried within the formation eye lit up soundlessly.

A wisp of exceedingly faint Human Race aura followed the connection of shared origin and entered the East Sea Life-Crossing Formation.

Xuan Heng's mind stirred, and a flicker of surprise flashed through his eyes.

It worked.

But in the next moment, he suddenly sensed a demonic aura approaching from within the East Sea.