Merit Descends, Bottleneck Loosens

When Xuan Chuan returned to the Human Race tribe, the battle was already nearing its end.

Under the protection and slaughter of the Little Five-Element Demon-Subduing Formation, the beast horde, having lost the Evil Flood Dragon's command and the force that had catalyzed them, swiftly fell into chaos.

Some of the beasts had their ferocity diminished and instinctively began to flee; the remaining stubborn ones were also wiped out by the formation's power together with the Human Race warriors, who had caught their breath.

The setting sun was like blood, casting its light over a battlefield strewn with beast carcasses and shattered walls, and over the complicated expressions on the faces of the Human Race survivors—a mixture of grief, exhaustion, and relief.

Xuan Chuan's return did not cause much of a stir.

He signaled Zhao Gongming and the others to withdraw the formation. Then, he released the Evil Flood Dragon sealed within his sleeve and used his divine ability to thoroughly purge the lingering traces of the catalyzing spell from its body.

The Evil Flood Dragon's ferocity faded, and some clarity returned to its eyes. Though it remained weak, it was no longer violent.

Seeing that it had not cultivated easily and had merely been used by others, Xuan Chuan ordered it to guard this tribe for a hundred years to atone for its sins. The Evil Flood Dragon lowered its head in agreement, then slipped back into the river to nurse its wounds.

The tribe's leader was an old man weathered by countless hardships. Supported by his clansmen, he trembled as he came before Xuan Chuan and the others, intending to lead the entire tribe in kneeling and kowtowing their thanks.

"Old sir, there is no need for this."

Xuan Chuan raised a hand in empty support, and a gentle force stopped them from kneeling. "We are cultivators of Jiejiao. When we see injustice on the road, we lend a hand—it is simply our duty.

From now on, within a hundred li of this place, the beasts will not dare invade so easily again. You may rest in peace and rebuild your homes."

He did not claim any credit. Instead, he offered a few reminders about precautions and farming before preparing to lead his disciples away.

The purpose of this journey had been achieved—repelling the beast tide, saving the tribe, and, more importantly, verifying the feasibility of Merit and exposing Chanjiao's conspiracy.

Yet just as they mounted the clouds and prepared to depart—

Buzz...

An indescribably profound Dao sound suddenly rang out between Heaven and Earth.

The sky, once shrouded in blood-red light and smoke, suddenly shone with beams upon beams of soft, pure golden radiance!

This golden light was not sunlight. It was warm without being scorching, sacred without being oppressive, and contained a supreme yet silent, all-encompassing will that nourished all things without a sound.

Heavenly Dao Merit!

The golden pillars of light fell precisely upon every Jiejiao disciple who had participated in this rescue and fought the beasts, including Xuan Chuan, Zhao Gongming, and the several dozen disciples who had formed the array against the enemy.

The moment the light touched them, it merged into their bodies.

"Th-this is?" An Outer Sect disciple at the Early True Immortal stage felt the changes within himself in astonishment.

That tiny wisp of golden Merit light merged into his mana and soul, and he immediately felt an indescribable sense of ease and clarity!

The faint exhaustion and agitation accumulated from days of cultivation were swept away. His soul seemed to have been washed by a warm spring, becoming clearer and more vibrant.

What delighted him even more was that the small bottleneck that had plagued him for so long—the one blocking his breakthrough to Mid True Immortal—had actually begun to loosen faintly! It was as though he could cross it at any moment!

"I feel... so relaxed! My mind has never been this clear!"

"My mana... seems to have become purer!"

"The bottleneck! I can feel my bottleneck loosening!"

"So this is Merit? Its wondrous uses are truly endless!"

Similar cries of surprise and joy rose one after another among the several dozen disciples. They had personally experienced the tangible benefits brought by Merit!

Though the Merit each person received was exceedingly meager, for disciples who were mostly stuck at some minor realm, it was no different from sweet rain after a long drought!

Such immediate results were far more convincing than any sermon!

Zhao Gongming felt the Merit merging into his body. Though such a small amount of Merit had negligible effect on a Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal like him,

he could clearly sense that a trace of the subtle Karmic Force he had inadvertently accumulated through his wide circle of friends and bold, freewheeling conduct had actually been worn away by the golden light of Merit!

This shook him deeply. His gaze toward Xuan Chuan became even more convinced. Eldest Senior Brother had not spoken falsely—the Merit Path was indeed the proper road!

Yunxiao, Qiongxiao, and Bixiao's beautiful eyes also flickered. Their cultivation was profound, and their perceptions were even more delicate.

As Merit entered their bodies, it not only nourished their mana and souls, but also made them vaguely feel that their connection to the Heavenly Dao had grown a fraction closer. When calculating heavenly secrets, the thin veil between them seemed to have faded by another layer.

As for Xuan Chuan himself, the golden light of Merit he received was far greater than that of the ordinary disciples.

Most of that Merit came from his defeat of the beast tide's core, the Evil Flood Dragon, his exposure of the mastermind behind it, Xiao Zhen, and his eradication of this disaster at its root.

Vast and pure power of Merit surged into his body.

Unlike the other disciples, he did not immediately use it to raise his mana or force a breakthrough. Instead, a thought stirred in his mind.

He guided the golden torrent, pouring it without end into the depths of his sea of consciousness and merging it into the continuously revolving The One That Escaped!

Buzz—!

When the mysterious purple glow of The One That Escaped came into contact with the pure power of Merit, it seemed to be infused with new vitality. Its rotation abruptly accelerated, and its radiance became more solid and lively!

A clearer, deeper insight—one closer to the origin of "variables"—surged into Xuan Chuan's heart.

He felt that his ability to calculate, his perception of heavenly secrets, and his power to conceal his own fate had all been noticeably enhanced under the nourishment of Merit!

It was as though another layer of dust had been wiped from the mirror of his heart.

Just as this sublimated perception reached a certain peak, relying on the strengthened The One That Escaped,

Xuan Chuan's mind seemed to touch a faint karmic thread related to himself somewhere in the unseen.

The other end of that thread pointed far into the depths of the East Sea, toward a place called Flowing Wave Mountain!

A vague sensation came from it—there seemed to be something there fated for him, or perhaps... a fortuitous opportunity?

At the same time, it was accompanied by an exceedingly faint but heart-palpitating omen of danger.

Within fortune lurks misfortune; within misfortune rests fortune.

Xuan Chuan slowly opened his eyes. A flash of golden light passed through them before they returned to calm.

He looked down at his fellow disciples below, who were overjoyed by the Merit descending upon them and gazed at him with sincere admiration and gratitude. His heart settled.

The first step had succeeded. Verification of the Merit Path had made these disciples truly begin to give him their hearts.

Then next... it was time to visit Flowing Wave Mountain and see what exactly that opportunity and danger were.