Establishing Temporal Order, Heavenly Merit Descends

"Buzzz!"

The vast starry sky suddenly trembled. A supreme Heavenly Dao aura descended, purple qi sweeping across three trillion miles and forming a canopy like nine dragons paying homage, stretching above Lingxiao, Xihe, and Changxi.

Within the purple qi, ten thousand golden lotuses bloomed layer upon layer, their dazzling divine radiance illuminating the river of stars;

Phantom figures of Innate Sacred Beings slowly condensed. The Azure Dragon roared over the seas, the White Tiger subdued the west, the Vermilion Bird soared through the heavens, the Black Tortoise guarded the north, and a Qilin galloped past upon auspicious clouds;

There were also swaying phantoms of Innate Spiritual Roots such as the Calabash Vine and Yellow Central Plum, flowing with starlight, their Dao aura naturally formed...

In but an instant, this heaven-shaking phenomenon swept across the entire Primordial Starry Sky. Even from the Primordial Lands, one could see that purple and golden brilliance spanning the heavens.

"Such a phenomenon..." Astonishment could not be concealed in Xihe's cool, beautiful eyes. Raising her fair hand as she gazed at the Dao aura filling the sky, she softly sighed. "When Hongjun Ancestor quelled the demonic chaos and slew Rahu, the phenomenon that stirred heaven and earth was likely no greater than this."

All living beings of the Primordial World knew that Hongjun Ancestor had been the foremost contributor to ending the Ferocious Beast Tribulation and pacifying the War of Dao and Demons.

When those two world-destroying calamities came to an end, they had both brought down vast amounts of Heavenly Dao Merit. It was through this that he had steadily risen to the forefront among the Great Supernatural Beings of the Primordial World.

By now, that ancient Great Supernatural Being had long since retreated into the depths of Chaos. He had not appeared in the Primordial World for a very long time, and no one knew what realm his cultivation had reached.

But he was surely far ahead of all others. Even if he had not yet become a saint, he could not be far from it...

"Heavenly Dao Merit is about to descend." Lingxiao watched the golden light slowly gathering in the depths of the purple qi. His tone was calm, but understanding gleamed in his eyes.

When Pangu opened heaven and earth, he had slain many Great Dao Demon Gods and refined them into the Primordial World. Yet the Primordial World was still imperfect. Apart from the Force Law, which was complete, all other laws had their shortcomings.

Or rather, they were not truly flawed. They simply had not reached the level of the three thousand Great Dao Demon Gods.

Take time and space, for instance...

Lingxiao understood clearly—

Establishing the temporal order of heaven and earth this time was, in essence, setting the underlying rules for the passage of time in the Primordial World and filling in the corresponding gaps in its order. The stature of this matter was no less than ending the War of Dao and Demons.

However, the three of them had only joined forces to erect the rough skeleton of the temporal order system. They had yet to add all its flesh, blood, and skin.

Therefore, this phenomenon's greatest strength lay only in its exceedingly high "quality."

As for the "quantity" of merit, it was still far from reaching perfection.

"Heavenly Dao Merit?!" Changxi's round eyes instantly lit up, her little face brimming with excitement and anticipation. "Wonderful! Now we won't have to fear karmic power tainting us and being plotted against!"

"Rumble, rumble!"

At the peak of the stars, the Heavenly Dao thundered. Boundless Merit Golden Light poured down from the depths of the purple qi like a celestial river flowing backward, dividing into three streams, each with its own destination.

The first stream was the most immense. Nearly half of the Merit Golden Light split into fourteen portions, entering the Sun and Lunar Yin, the two supreme stars, as well as the twelve main stars of the Twelve Time Markers.

In an instant, all fourteen stars trembled. Their star origins were nourished and strengthened by the merit, becoming ever more robust. The star paths of the Zodiac Twelve Palaces also gradually stabilized, forming a heavenly encircling formation together with the Lunar Yin and Sun Star.

From this day onward, so long as the Primordial World endured, the Lunar Yin and Sun Star would remain eternal and indestructible!

—Anyone who dared attack these two supreme stars would first suffer the suppression of Pangu's lingering might from the opening of heaven and earth, then be consumed by boundless Karmic Fire descended from heaven and earth, never to find release for all eternity.

After this event, the fortunes of the Lunar Yin, Sun Star, and Twelve Time Markers became linked. Not only did they protect the supreme stars, they also roughly sorted out the order of the entire Primordial Starry Sky.

"Buzzz, buzzz."

The second stream of Merit Golden Light split in two, descending respectively upon the Fusang Tree of the Sun Star and the Moon Laurel Tree of the Lunar Yin.

The two Supreme-Grade Innate Spiritual Roots swayed in the wind. Golden merit patterns spread through every leaf and branch. From then on, they would remain unstained by cause and effect, untouched by karmic power, and undamaged through ten thousand calamities.

The final stream of merit, accounting for roughly forty percent of the total, descended directly upon Lingxiao and the two sisters.

As the golden light entered their bodies, it first cleansed their fleshly bodies and Primordial Spirits, nourishing the Three Treasures of Essence, Qi, and Spirit. It then tempered their already incomparably pure Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal mana until it became even more condensed and pristine. Finally, it formed a Merit Golden Wheel behind each of their heads, available for use at will.

"Whoosh!"

The instant the Merit Golden Light completely merged with his Primordial Spirit, Lingxiao's consciousness abruptly blurred for a moment.

In that daze, his Primordial Spirit and True Spirit seemed to cross endless stretches of time, space, and Chaos, allowing him to see an ancient Daoist sanctuary floating amid turbulent Chaos currents:

At the center of the sanctuary, seated cross-legged upon a Twelve-Petaled Golden Lotus Platform, was a white-haired old Daoist. Above his head floated fragments of a jade disc pieced together, while Dao aura circulated around him, profound beyond profundity, mysterious beyond measure.

The moment their gazes met, Lingxiao caught an exceedingly faint, exceedingly hidden, yet undeniably real trace of a smile within those eyes, calm as ancient wells.

It carried a measure of approval and a measure of gratification.

"Whoosh!"

The daze lasted only an instant.

When Lingxiao came back to himself, he found that he was still standing atop the starry sky. The phenomena throughout the heavens were slowly fading, leaving only the temporal order rules merged into heaven and earth resonating faintly.

The Primordial World was still the same Primordial World, and the starry sky was still the same starry sky, yet there was a subtle difference:

The rules of heaven and earth had become more complete,

The Innate spiritual qi within the starry sky had grown slightly richer,

Even the operation of the Heavenly Dao seemed to have become a little smoother.

"Wow! So much merit!" Changxi cupped the Merit Golden Wheel behind her head in her hands. Her eyes curved into crescents, and she beamed from ear to ear.

This merit was enough to let her steadily enter the Middle-Stage Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal Realm.

Yet Xihe, beside her, furrowed her willow brows slightly. A trace of apology appeared on her cool face as she looked at Lingxiao and softly said, "Daoist Brother Lingxiao, you were meant to be the principal force in establishing the temporal order this time. My sister and I merely assisted from the side, yet we received so much merit. Even the Lunar Yin and Moon Laurel Tree gained such tremendous benefits. This..."

She understood clearly that the Lunar Yin and Sun Star had received almost equal benefits from this descent of merit. Since she had wholeheartedly wished to help Lingxiao plan for merit, she felt deeply guilty.

"Ah? That's right!" Only after her sister reminded her did the usually carefree Changxi come to her senses. Her round eyes turned, and she immediately said, "Big Brother Lingxiao, then my sister and I can pull up the Moon Laurel Tree and give it to you! It's a Supreme-Grade Innate Spiritual Root formed from Pangu's eyelashes. It would go perfectly with your Fusang Tree—they could make a pair!"

The moment she said this, Xihe actually lowered her eyes and pondered it, seriously considering the feasibility of transplanting the Moon Laurel Tree.

Lingxiao had previously said that the Lunar Yin was the foundation of their fortunes, so they could not give it to him. But the Moon Laurel Tree should not pose a problem, and it would make up for the merit they had shared this time.

"Enough." Lingxiao shook his head with a laugh. Raising his hands, he pressed them upon the two women's shoulders. His tone was gentle yet resolute. "What do you mean, make a pair? The Moon Laurel and Fusang Tree have not developed spiritual intelligence, much less taken human form. Do not randomly arrange a marriage match for them."

Innate Spiritual Roots could also be used like Innate Spiritual Treasures in battle, but Lingxiao had not fallen to such a state.

The Moon Laurel and Fusang Tree were best used by taking root within the supreme stars, gathering and stabilizing the fortunes of the Lunar Yin and Sun Star.

As the saying went, when the time came, heaven and earth lent their strength; when fortune departed, even heroes lost their freedom.

Fortune was invisible and difficult to grasp, yet at certain times, it was even more important than merit.

In the future struggle of the Apotheosis Calamity, the Human Sect, Interpretation Sect, Interception Sect, and Western Sect would all enter the fray. Why was Tongtian Cult Master's Interception Sect alone left with the greatest losses?

The main reason was the difference in the solidity of their fortunes.

The Western Sect had the Supreme-Grade Innate Spiritual Treasure Twelve-Petaled Merit Golden Lotus, the Eight-Treasure Merit Pool, Six-Purities Bamboo, Seven Treasures Wonderful Tree, and other treasures to suppress the fortune of the west.

The Human Sect had the Postcelestial Merit Supreme Treasure Heaven-Earth Mystic Yellow Exquisite Pagoda and the Innate Supreme Treasure Taiji Diagram to suppress its sect's fortune;

Even the Interpretation Sect, although Yuanshi Tianzun's Innate Supreme Treasure Pangu Banner leaned toward slaughter, still possessed the Supreme-Grade Innate Spiritual Treasures Three-Treasure Jade Ruyi and Jade Void Glazed Lamp.

And what did Tongtian Cult Master have?

The Immortal-Slaying Sword Formation, formed by the Four Swords of Immortal Slaying together with the Immortal-Slaying Formation Diagram, was powerful indeed, but its killing intent pierced the heavens. It excelled at attack, not at suppressing and stabilizing the fortune of a Dao lineage.

Beyond that, treasures such as the Purple Lightning Hammer, Fish Drum, and Green Duckweed Sword were much the same.

Thus, Tongtian Cult Master was the most offensively formidable among the Three Pure Ones, but also the one least able to endure.

In short, the Western Sect benefited the most from the Apotheosis Calamity, followed by Grand Pure One Laozi, who transformed the Hu into Buddhism. As for Yuanshi Tianzun and Tongtian Cult Master, both suffered losses.

Among the Jade Void Twelve Immortals under the former, Daoist Cihang, True Person Puxian, Wenshu Guangfa Tianzun, and Juliusun were all converted into the Western Sect. Even Vice Sect Leader Daoist Randeng joined the Buddhist Sect.

Of course, compared with the Interception Sect's complete collapse, the Interpretation Sect still fared far better.

The four sects each faced different circumstances, but the treasures suppressing their fortunes likely played no small role behind it all.

The two Western Saints possessed the most treasures for suppressing fortune, so they gained the most;

Tongtian Cult Master lacked any proper treasure for suppressing fortune, so his losses were the greatest.

"Besides, why should you be so formal with me?" Lingxiao suppressed his stray thoughts and continued.

"The Lunar Yin and Sun Star were formed from Pangu's eyes. They are the two aspects of heaven and earth's yin and yang, and their value lies in balancing and aiding one another. They should naturally share this merit together."

"If the Sun Star alone became dominant and the starry sky's order fell out of balance, then even if it gained strength for a time, it could never last."

He understood all too well the principle that prosperity at its height must decline.

Dijun and Taiyi established the Demon Race Heavenly Court, gathering the fortune of most of the starry sky with the Heavenly Cycle Star-Dipper Formation. One was the Demon Emperor, the other the Eastern Emperor—what magnificent prestige they possessed!

Yet even though they formed a marriage alliance with the Lunar Yin, the Sun Star still ultimately dominated, causing yin and yang to fall out of balance and their fortune to become unstable. In the end, they suffered mutual ruin in the War of Liches, perishing with their Dao scattered in a miserable end.

Even an Innate Supreme Treasure for suppressing fortune like the Chaos Bell had been used by Pangu to stabilize the entire Primordial Starry Sky, not to solely suppress a single Sun Star.

Therefore, the starry sky's longevity had never depended upon an individual's strength, but upon the balance of the whole and mutual advancement.

Now that the fortunes of the Lunar Yin and Sun Star were linked and yin and yang complemented one another, this was the true path to stability.

"But..." Changxi still wanted to say something.

"If you mean transplanting the Moon Laurel, do not mention it again." Lingxiao interrupted her. There was a gentleness in his tone that permitted no argument. "The Lunar Yin gives rise to the Moon Laurel, and the Sun Star gives rise to Fusang. They are the foundation of the starry sky's yin-yang balance and must not be lightly disturbed."

"Besides, among family, there is no need to speak as strangers. What difference is there between what is yours and what is mine?"

"Of this merit, I alone received twenty percent, while the two of you together received only twenty percent. I have already taken the larger share, so there is no need to argue further."

He knew that establishing temporal order was by no means a one-time transaction.

What the Heavenly Dao had bestowed this time was merely merit for establishing the temporal order.

In the future, as the Twelve Time Markers and the sun and moon revolved, maintaining the operation of the Primordial World's temporal order, trickles of merit would gather every moment. It would be a slow, steady stream, but it would flow without end. That was the true long-term benefit.

"Then... all right."

Upon hearing this, Xihe and Changxi exchanged a glance. A faint blush spread across their lovely faces. They lowered their eyes, speechless and shy, yet sweetness welled up in both their hearts.

"Now that we have received the merit, I plan to enter seclusion for a time, improve my cultivation, and refine my treasures. What do you two think?" Lingxiao looked at the sisters.

With the Lunar Yin and Sun Star resonating, their yin-yang fortunes harmonized. Whether cultivating or refining treasures, their efficiency would be more than ten times what it was alone.

"This one is willing to enter seclusion with Daoist Brother." Xihe stepped forward and gently held Lingxiao's right hand in her fair hand. Her cool eyes were full of softness.

"Me too! Me too! I want to be with Big Brother Lingxiao too! Hehe." Changxi hurried over and grabbed Lingxiao's left hand, her eyes curving with her smile like a little rabbit that had stolen candy.

On Purple Palace Isle in the Eastern Sea, Donghua Emperor watched the fading golden light in the starry sky, his eyes full of envy. He clapped his hands and sighed. "Establishing the Twelve Time Markers can actually earn Heavenly Dao Merit? Hiss! Such a vast amount of merit truly makes others green with envy. If I could obtain this merit, I would certainly reach the Middle-Stage Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal Realm."

On Mount Sumeru in the Western Lands, Jieyin and Zhunti looked toward the starry sky, the sorrowful expressions on their faces becoming even deeper.

Jieyin let out a long sigh. "Good, good. This fellow Daoist Lingxiao truly does not walk the ordinary path. During the War of Dao and Demons, the Western Lands shattered and countless great cultivators perished. Even the merit Hongjun Ancestor received was only comparable to this. Since when had merit become so easy to obtain?"

Zhunti pressed his palms together, but a glint of calculation hid in his eyes. He secretly considered how to forge a good karmic connection with this new master of the Sun Star. If he could seek some guidance from him, it would be even better.

In the Kunlun Mountains, Tongtian gazed at the starry sky, admiration flashing through his eyes. "Fellow Daoist Lingxiao truly is an extraordinary man!"

At his side, Laozi's eyes were half closed, as though he had not noticed the commotion filling the heavens at all. Only his fingers lightly moved as he remained silent.

Yuanshi's expression, meanwhile, shifted unpredictably.

For a time, throughout the Primordial World, numerous Great Supernatural Beings witnessed the scene in the starry sky, and every one of them coveted it intensely.

It was only because merit could not be seized that no Great Supernatural Being had yet been unable to restrain themselves.

Yet in secret, many Great Supernatural Beings also adopted the mindset of casting two poles into the date tree whether or not there were dates to knock down. They began trying to establish all manner of things.

And strangely enough, some lucky fellows truly did stumble upon a dead mouse like blind cats and gain a little merit.

For instance, Candle Dragon of the Eastern Sea cultivated the Time Dao and fused the Time Passage Law. As this accorded with the order of heaven and earth's temporal sequence, he added "ke" to the existing divisions of years, months, and days.

Thus, the term "moment" came into being.

Though the merit he gained was far inferior to Lingxiao's harvest this time, it was still quite excellent.

And these Great Supernatural Beings also developed some gratitude and goodwill toward Lingxiao in their hearts.