Heavenly Merit Descends, All Powers Are Shocked

When the golden light of Merit descended, all of Guixu fell silent.

That wisp of Merit was not immense.

Compared to great Merits such as Opening-Heaven Merit, Clan-Creation Merit, and Heaven-Mending Merit, it could only be considered an extremely thin strand.

Yet when it descended above the Three Lives Gate, it shook the hearts and minds of every living being in Guixu.

Because this meant that Guixu's establishment of the Three Lives Gate, its protection of the young and weak caught in the Great Tribulation and living beings seeking to avoid it, had received a trace of recognition from the rules of heaven and earth.

In the Primordial World, Merit was exceedingly difficult to obtain.

Killing was easy.

Fighting for things was easy.

Establishing a path that allowed all living beings to survive was far harder.

The Three Lives Gate illuminated causality, tested the nature of one's mind, and severed the killing tribulation.

It accepted no ambitious powerhouses. It accepted only those willing to avoid tribulation, willing to follow the rules, and whose karmic burden of killing could still be borne.

This path had not changed the overall course of the countless tribulations.

Yet it had indeed left a thread of life for countless innocent beings swept into the Great Tribulation.

Thus, heaven and earth sent down a wisp of Merit.

The Three Lives Gate bathed in golden light.

Its black-and-white causal patterns became clearer.

The gray water mirror of the Gate of Testing Nature of Mind gained a circle of golden trim.

The dark-golden ripples beneath the Gate of Severing the Killing Tribulation also became more stable.

Everyone knelt.

Lan Shuang, Lady Mingzhu, Han Jue, Ao Lie, Feng Li, Lin Yue, Ancestor Xuan Jia, the Sea Devourer Beast Spirit, and countless Guixu beings all kowtowed toward the Northern Darkness Dao Palace.

"Congratulations, Emperor!"

Their voices spread through Guixu like ocean tides.

But Lu Chen did not get carried away in the slightest.

Looking at that strand of Merit, his first reaction was that it was trouble.

Heaven-and-Earth Merit was a good thing.

But once Merit descended, it also meant Guixu had been noticed by the rules of heaven and earth.

Previously, he had hidden within Northern Sea Guixu. The Chaos Tortoise Breathing Method, Heaven-Deceiving Tortoise Shell, and Guixu Womb Membrane concealed him layer upon layer, making it difficult even for outside great powers to see him.

Now that Merit had descended, would the Heavenly Dao notice him?

Would Nuwa decide ahead of time that there was a rather decent Black Tortoise in the Northern Sea?

Thinking of his four legs that might one day hold up the heavens, Lu Chen immediately felt a chill run through his shell.

The system's voice rang out.

"Detected that the Three Lives Gate has received Heavenly Merit. Please choose, host."

"First: distribute the Merit among Guixu's clans, raising the cultivation of all races. Reward: praise from all races."

"Second: leave the Merit within the Three Lives Gate, strengthening the majesty of Guixu's entrance. Reward: increased power of the Three Lives Gate."

"Third: merge the Merit into the Old Shell, strengthening the Old Shell Fate-Bearing capacity. Reward: increased stability of the sixth layer of the Chaos Shell-Shedding Method."

Lu Chen's eyes lit up at once.

Merge it into the Old Shell.

Strengthen its ability to bear destiny.

Wasn't that exactly what he needed most?

Merit would be seen by the Heavenly Dao.

But if it merged into the Old Shell, making it more like the Black Tortoise that was meant to hold up the heavens in the future, then his true body would have a greater chance of escaping.

Danger and benefit lay before him at the same time.

Lu Chen considered it for only a breath.

"Third."

"Congratulations, host. The stability of the sixth layer of the Chaos Shell-Shedding Method has increased."

That strand of Merit did not disperse among the clans, nor did it remain entirely within the Three Lives Gate.

After being refined by the Three Lives Gate, it transformed into a slender golden thread and sank into the depths of Guixu.

In the end, it landed upon Lu Chen's Old Shell.

Boom!

Lu Chen felt a faint tremor deep within his tortoise shell.

A nearly imperceptible golden pattern slowly emerged on the Old Shell.

The pattern was unremarkable.

Yet it contained an extraordinarily special power of bearing.

The Old Shell bore causality.

The Old Shell bore earth veins.

The Old Shell bore the spark of life.

Now, the Old Shell also bore a strand of Heavenly Merit.

If the day of mending the heavens truly came in the future, then when the Heavenly Dao saw the Old Shell, it would likely recognize this shell even more as the "Northern Sea Black Tortoise."

As for Lu Chen's true body, it could hide even deeper with the Chaos Shell-Shedding Method.

Feeling this change, Lu Chen's mood instantly improved.

"Merit isn't bad either."

"As long as it goes into the Old Shell, it's all good stuff."

At Dragon-Suppressing Pass.

Lan Shuang watched the Merit flow into the depths of Guixu, and the reverence in her eyes deepened.

In her view, the Emperor had not monopolized the Merit.

Although that strand of Merit had entered Guixu's depths, it had strengthened the Three Lives Gate and made the Guixu Minor World more stable.

The Emperor was bearing the Merit himself to stabilize the path of tribulation avoidance for all beings in Guixu.

Lady Mingzhu said softly, "The Emperor bears Merit, and Guixu bears vitality."

Ancestor Xuan Jia nodded slowly.

"This is the bearing of a true great power."

Ao Lie gazed at the Three Lives Gate, his emotions extremely complicated.

After countless years of war, the Dragon Clan had gained Fortune, resources, authority, and an ever-heavier burden of karma.

Guixu saved the young and weak, established the Three Lives Gate, and actually gained a strand of Merit.

The disparity between the two shook him once more.

Phoenix Li looked toward the Young Clans Court.

Many young Frost Phoenix chicks were gazing up at the golden light of Merit, their eyes innocent and bewildered.

She suddenly felt that the Frost Phoenix Lineage's choice to join Guixu had been the most correct decision of her life.

Lin Yue also looked toward Mysterious Peak Mountain.

When the Merit of the Three Lives Gate descended, the earth veins of Mysterious Peak Mountain also stabilized somewhat.

The Water Qilin Branch truly had a place where it could take root in the future.

At the same time.

Eastern Sea Ancestral Dragon Palace.

The Ancestral Dragon suddenly opened his eyes.

He looked toward the Northern Sea, golden light flowing in his eyes.

"The Three Lives Gate."

"Heaven-and-Earth Merit."

The Dragon Clan powerhouses within the hall sensed the change in the Ancestral Dragon's aura and lowered their heads.

The Ancestral Dragon did not explain.

After a long silence, he said softly, "Black Tortoise, you truly opened a gate for all living beings."

Deep within the Southern Undying Volcano.

Yuanfeng also sensed the golden light of Merit.

She looked toward the Northern Sea, her expression complicated.

"Perhaps the Frost Phoenix can truly survive in Guixu."

Deep beneath the earth.

Primordial Qilin sensed the fluctuations of Mysterious Peak Mountain and the Earth-Vein Seal, then slowly sighed.

"A gate for avoiding tribulation."

"Do not contend for Fortune, and Merit comes of its own accord."

"This Black Tortoise sees farther than we do."

Western Demonic Domain.

Luohou's reaction was entirely different.

When he saw Merit descend upon the Northern Sea, the demonic light in his eyes immediately turned cold.

Merit was most effective against demonic qi.

If the Three Lives Gate continued operating, it would save more living beings who should have turned into resentful souls during the Great Tribulation.

That was equivalent to weakening the resources of the Demonic Dao.

Youdu knelt beneath the Black Lotus Altar, his voice cold and sinister.

"Demonic Ancestor, Guixu has established the Three Lives Gate."

"If they are allowed to continue using Jieyin to receive those seeking to avoid tribulation, the Three-Clan Battlefield will lose a great number of resentful souls."

Luohou sneered.

"Then send them resentful souls."

Youdu raised his head.

Luohou said slowly, "Don't they want to save all living beings?"

"I want to see whether that Black Tortoise will save them or not when the resentful souls of all races press against its gates."

The demonic light in Youdu's eyes flared brilliantly.

"This subordinate understands."

Eastern Nameless Immortal Mountain.

Hongjun likewise looked toward the Northern Sea.

There was no killing intent in his eyes.

Only a trace of contemplation.

"The Three Lives Gate."

"Illuminating causality, testing the nature of one's mind, severing the killing tribulation."

"This method may be small, but it accords with a thread of life."

"The Northern Sea Black Tortoise may be worth meeting someday."

Deep within Guixu.

Lu Chen vaguely sensed several distant gazes sweep across the Northern Sea.

He immediately activated the Heaven-Deceiving Tortoise Shell and wrapped himself even more tightly.

"What are you looking at?"

"I'm just a tortoise in seclusion."

"They built the Three Lives Gate."

"The Merit went into the Old Shell."

"It has little to do with my true body."

He comforted himself for a long while before barely calming down again.

However, before long, a stream of demonic qi quietly rose from the west.

Youdu swept along the resentful souls of all races and headed toward the Northern Sea once more.