Harvesting Spiritual Treasures! Vast Merits! The Envious and Jealous Laozi Duo

When the vast spiritual essence dissipated, spiritual treasures of extraordinary rank could be seen suspended in the void.

Tongtian took a closer look and was immediately overjoyed.

Even the worst among them were Top-Grade Innate Spiritual Treasures!

And there were even two Innate Supreme Treasures!

He had put in no small amount of effort this time; Hongjun shouldn't just take all the spiritual treasures for himself, right?

If he could let him have a few, this trip would truly be worthwhile!

Thinking this, Tongtian turned his gaze to Hongjun.

Hongjun looked at the spiritual treasures floating in the void, his expression not particularly joyful.

Instead, a hint of worry appeared on his face.

He sighed lightly and said, "I thought that with the help of three fellow Daoists, we could easily slay Rahou."

"Who could have imagined that Fellow Daoist Qiankun and Fellow Daoist Yinyang would both die at Rahou's hands."

"In the end, it was because we underestimated that scoundrel Rahou."

"Who would have thought the Immortal Slaughtering Sword Formation possessed such terrifying power? If those two fellow Daoists could have held out a little longer, I might have found a way to break it."

"All I can say is that the world is unpredictable!"

Tongtian could tell that Hongjun was not putting on an act.

He was probably feeling quite conflicted at this moment.

After all, he certainly hadn't expected such an outcome from the start.

Of course, the fall of Yinyang, Qiankun, and the other demons was also a good thing for him.

If those fellows were still alive, once Hongjun attained enlightenment and became a saint, their situation would likely be very awkward.

For Tongtian, it was also a good thing.

If they hadn't fallen, he probably wouldn't have had a place to contribute in this battle.

In that case, how could so many spiritual treasures have appeared for him to choose from?

Hongjun suppressed the complex feelings in his heart, looked at Tongtian, and said, "This time, we were able to successfully slay Rahou."

"Little friend, your contribution is no less than that of the two fallen fellow Daoists."

"Since you have rendered such a great service, you may choose freely from the spiritual treasures here."

"Rest assured, I mean what I say. Little friend, you need not have too many reservations."

That was what he said, but Tongtian still had a clear understanding.

Some spiritual treasures had probably already caught Hongjun's eye.

For example, the Innate Supreme Treasure Taiji Diagram and the Top-Grade Innate Spiritual Treasure Qiankun Cauldron, and of course, the Four Swords of Zhuxian!

But he also had his own thoughts on this matter. Once Hongjun attained enlightenment and became a saint, because he owed a karmic debt to Pangu, Hongjun would give Laozi and Yuanshi one extraordinary spiritual treasure each, and he certainly wouldn't leave Tongtian out.

So the Four Swords of Zhuxian and the Zhuxian Formation Diagram would eventually be his.

That way, he had plenty of treasures to choose from!

Without overthinking, Tongtian directly selected the God-Slaying Spear and the 12th Grade Black Lotus of Destruction.

As for the other spiritual treasures, he left them all to Hongjun.

Hongjun said nothing, silently watching as Tongtian put away the God-Slaying Spear and the 12th Grade Black Lotus of Destruction. He had expected Tongtian to continue collecting treasures, but to his surprise, Tongtian stopped.

This surprised him a little; he hadn't expected Tongtian to be so tactful.

This way, his own gains were still the greatest. Not only did he obtain the Innate Supreme Treasure Taiji Diagram, but also the Top-Grade Innate Spiritual Treasure Qiankun Cauldron, and the immensely powerful Four Swords of Zhuxian.

"Both the God-Slaying Spear and the 12th Grade Black Lotus of Destruction are treasures of great power."

"Especially the God-Slaying Spear—its ferocity ranks among the top of all Innate Supreme Treasures. I have no objection to you taking it, little friend, but I must still offer you a word of caution."

"I hope that when you use this murderous treasure, you will act with prudence."

Hongjun said this with a somewhat serious expression.

The power of the God-Slaying Spear needed no elaboration; both Qiankun Ancestor and Yinyang Ancestor had fallen to it.

This showed just how terrifying this killing treasure truly was.

Tongtian also understood the power contained in the God-Slaying Spear and was overjoyed at heart.

Now he had one killing treasure and one defensive treasure of merit.

Against an ordinary Golden Immortal of the Origin, he would have the ability to contend with them!

It could be said that his combat power had been greatly enhanced.

Swish!

After giving Tongtian his warning, Hongjun waved his hand and immediately gathered up all the remaining spiritual treasures.

Such gains naturally filled his heart with joy as well.

Moreover, Yang Mei had chosen to flee far away—that was for the best, otherwise he might have had to share some of the spiritual treasures with him.

The great battle was over. Gazing at the Western World, now reduced to chaos, Tongtian sighed inwardly.

Zhunti and Jieyin were probably already weeping somewhere in secret.

This single calamity had inflicted massive losses on the Western World—Rahou's self-destruction, combined with the premature extraction of the Western spiritual veins' power.

All of this had left the Western World with less than a tenth of its original spiritual energy.

From now on, though the Western World might not be an age of Dharma's end, it would certainly be unsuitable for cultivators to train there.

After a moment's thought, Tongtian summoned the Heavenly Yellow Linglong Pagoda.

With the battle over, no other dangers remained between heaven and earth—it was time to release Laozi and Yuanshi.

Weng!

Light swirled across the Heavenly Yellow Linglong Pagoda, and the next moment, Laozi and Yuanshi appeared on the spot, utterly bewildered.

"This... could the great battle already be over?"

Laozi and Yuanshi looked around. Not a trace of demonic energy remained between heaven and earth.

This meant Rahou had definitely been completely dealt with.

Scanning their surroundings, the mountains for miles around looked as if they had been bombarded relentlessly, shattered beyond recognition. Both of them were deeply shocked.

Had the battle truly raged on such a vast scale?

Had it even turned the Western World into this state?

This was truly terrifying!

Fortunately, they had hidden inside the Heavenly Yellow Linglong Pagoda, so they had been in no danger.

"Master, has that scoundrel Rahou been slain?"

Yuanshi looked at Hongjun and asked in disbelief.

Hongjun stared at these two bewildered disciples, his heart full of dissatisfaction.

To be honest, if they hadn't insisted on coming this time, perhaps their situation wouldn't have been so dire.

But since it had already happened, he couldn't say much more.

He could only reply expressionlessly, "Indeed."

"Rahou is dead."

"The great battle is over."

Laozi and Yuanshi exchanged a glance, finding it hard to believe, but even more so, they felt regret.

They had insisted on following Hongjun and Tongtian here—wasn't it to gain some benefits from this great battle?

And yet, they had gained nothing!

On top of that, both had suffered serious injuries!

Now that the battle was over, they felt no sense of participation at all.

This left both of them feeling rather bitter.

"Third Brother, did you gain anything?"

Yuanshi looked at Tongtian with a hint of envy.

Unlike them, Tongtian had been fighting the Devil Race all along—there was no doubt he would earn a considerable amount of Heavenly Dao Merit from this journey.

But what he cared about more was whether Tongtian had obtained anything else.

Tongtian said calmly, "Just a small gain!"

"Nothing worth mentioning."

Hearing such a boastful remark, Laozi and Yuanshi felt even worse.

They had traveled all this way to suffer and toil, nearly losing their lives in the process.

And yet, when the battle ended, they hadn't even gotten a single scrap.

As for Tongtian's words, neither of them believed them.

For one thing, the powerful figures of the Devil Race surely possessed quite a few spiritual treasures.

Given the standards of their master and the other great beings, they would certainly look down on those.

That meant Third Brother had at least obtained a number of innate spiritual treasures, and possibly even a Top-Grade Innate Spiritual Treasure!

"By the way, what about the other seniors?"

"Why is only Master here?"

Laozi asked, his face full of confusion.

Tongtian sighed lightly. "Two seniors died at Rahou's hands, and another was severely wounded and fled."

Hiss!

Laozi and Yuanshi both changed expressions. Four Golden Immortals of the Origin had joined forces to besiege Rahou.

And yet it ended like this?

Was Rahou truly this terrifying?!

Thinking back, they actually felt a trace of relief. Good thing they had hidden themselves away, or else they wouldn't even know how they died.

The behavior of these two disciples left Hongjun utterly speechless.

Still, he understood that they simply hadn't grown into their potential yet.

Given their origins, they shouldn't have been this pathetic.

But people couldn't help comparing. Among the Three Pure Ones, look at Tongtian's performance—single-handedly slaying all the Devil Race's elites, turning the tide at the critical moment, and buying Hongjun the chance to strike Rahou by surprise.

Then look at Laozi and Yuanshi—utterly foolish!

They knew they lacked ability, yet refused to admit it, nearly dragging the whole group down with their stubbornness.

If not for Tongtian holding off the remaining Devil Race, all four of them would have died at Rahou's hands.

Just as Hongjun was about to speak, he suddenly sensed a vast surge of merit power. He lifted his head and gazed toward the heavens.

At that moment, Tongtian also felt something. Looking into the distance, he saw the sky flooded with boundless golden light. Merit power surged like a tidal wave, rolling in with overwhelming force.

A rough estimate showed it spanned hundreds of millions of zhang!

Such an immense flood of merit left even Tongtian stunned.

Good heavens!

No wonder this was the Dao-Devil War!

Only a Great Tribulation of the Worlds could produce such an ocean of Heavenly Dao Merit!

Even if he only got a share, it would still be a massive haul!

Rumble!

Under their watchful eyes, cracks appeared in the vast merit-cloud layers. Seventy percent of the merit, like an endless ocean, flew straight toward Hongjun.

The remaining thirty percent, like a long river, converged onto Tongtian.

"Thirty percent?"

Tongtian's face lit up with wild joy. Still, he had poured in no small amount of his own Heavenly Dao Merit this time.

He had even used a great deal of his Heaven-Opening Merit, all to help Hongjun turn the tables.

Now it seemed his investment had been well worth it.

Not only would he recover all his losses, but he could even double his original stock of Heavenly Dao Merit!

Hum!

As the endless Heavenly Dao Merit gathered, Tongtian's shattered Golden Wheel of Merit began to solidify once more.

But that wasn't all. The Golden Wheel of Merit could stack, up to the ultimate limit of nine layers!

Originally, Tongtian's Golden Wheel of Merit had only one layer.

Now, under the torrent of Heavenly Dao Merit, a second halo quickly emerged!

And it didn't stop there. A third halo soon appeared as well.

The golden light of merit condensed behind him, making Tongtian's entire body shimmer with radiance, while an overwhelming pressure spread outward in all directions.

This sight made Laozi and Yuanshi's eyes turn red with envy.

So much! This Heavenly Dao Merit was simply too much!

What great meritorious deed had their third brother done to earn such a bounty?

Or was it that killing Devil Race members brought such enormous rewards?

If they had known, they would have fought tooth and nail to keep slaughtering the Devil Race!

Now all they could do was watch, tears silently streaming in their hearts, while gaining nothing at all.

"With so much Heavenly Dao Merit, Third Brother will likely prove the Dao and become a Golden Immortal of the Origin before long!"

Yuanshi's expression was complicated as he spoke to Laozi.

Laozi sighed softly and patted Yuanshi's shoulder. "We have missed this great opportunity!"

"To encounter such a chance again will be a thousand times harder."

Tongtian calmed his mind. The three halos of the Golden Wheel of Merit behind him immediately retracted. With such vast Heavenly Dao Merit, if he used it all for cultivation, his cultivation base would advance by leaps and bounds.

But simply using Heavenly Dao Merit to boost cultivation was far too wasteful and extravagant.

Moreover, forcing merit to raise one's realm was nothing but forcing growth!

Even if the realm rose, combat power wouldn't follow.

In the end, it would be nothing but a flower in a mirror or the moon's reflection in water.

Tongtian naturally disdained to do such a thing; he had full confidence that he could rely on himself to break through to the Golden Immortal of the Origin realm.

At that moment, a powerful aura erupted from Hongjun.

Tongtian immediately turned his gaze toward him.

He had only absorbed three-tenths, yet his gains were already immense!

Hongjun had obtained a full seven-tenths!

It was easy to imagine that his harvest was even greater than Tongtian's own. Tongtian was merely curious whether the other would use such vast Heavenly Dao Merit to directly achieve Sagehood in one fell swoop!

Hongjun had reaped a great harvest, but he was not in a hurry to attain Sagehood.

As Tongtian had thought, such overwhelming Heavenly Dao Merit was certainly enough to break through to Sagehood.

But he did not wish to become a Sage through merit!

Moreover, he had another method of attaining Sagehood—the Three Corpses Severing Method!

Using the boundless Heavenly Dao Merit, he directly severed all three of his corpses.

Weng!

As a fierce aura continuously erupted, three old Daoists identical to Hongjun appeared beside him.

These were Hongjun's three corpses!

The next moment, Hongjun suddenly opened his eyes, a sharp gleam flashing within them. The three old Daoists' forms turned illusory and all entered Hongjun's body.

This was the unity of the three corpses!

Such a profound and mysterious technique left Laozi and Yuanshi completely dumbfounded.

They had never seen such an arcane method!

The three old Daoists bore the exact same appearance as Hongjun, yet each possessed the same aura as their master.

That meant all three were Golden Immortals of the Origin!

And when the three merged into one, Hongjun's aura surged to its peak, giving Laozi and Yuanshi an impulse to kneel before him.

Tongtian looked surprised, never expecting Hongjun to use all that Heavenly Dao Merit to sever his three corpses.

His three corpses had now merged, signifying that Hongjun would soon be able to attain Sagehood!

At this point, Hongjun's aura gradually calmed. With the three corpses unified, his strength had multiplied several times over!

This made his presence even more profound—an overwhelming sensation that words could not describe.

Even Tongtian felt a sense of heartfelt admiration.

He mused inwardly that once Hongjun became a Sage, he would be the sole supreme being in the Primordial World!

This made him somewhat eager as well; he wanted to see just how powerful a Sage of the Heavenly Dao truly was.

Of course, no matter how strong a Sage of the Heavenly Dao might be, he would not walk that path.

He preferred to strengthen himself, follow the Dao of the Origin, and tread in the footsteps of the Father God.

"Congratulations, Senior!"

"Senior has obtained such vast Heavenly Dao Merit and reaped great gains; it seems you are not far from attaining the supreme Dao!"

Tongtian cupped his hands and offered his congratulations with a serious expression.

Laozi and Yuanshi were still in shock, but upon hearing this, they too congratulated their master.

Both were in high spirits.

They were Hongjun's direct disciples; the higher Hongjun's cultivation, the more benefits they could reap!

Now that Rahou had perished in the Primordial World, wouldn't their master be unmatched?

With such a pillar of support, they were sure to gain plenty of advantages as well.

Seeing the three congratulate him, Hongjun was in a very good mood.

He said directly, "The battle is over. If there is anything else, let us discuss it after we return."

Tongtian nodded slightly. He could sense that many living beings from the Western World were already heading toward the Mount Tianmo area.

They were likely coming to see how the battle had turned out.

"Two elder brothers, your injuries have not fully recovered."

"Returning to Kunlun Mountain would take considerable time. It might be better to go back into the pagoda first."

Tongtian pondered for a moment, then immediately summoned the Heavenly Yellow Linglong Pagoda again.

Laozi and Yuanshi's expressions shifted upon hearing this. What did he mean?

They hadn't gained a single benefit!

Now he wanted to put them back inside again?

Who was the elder brother here?

"Third brother, the battle is over. There should be no other dangers in the world," Laozi said.

"Can't the two of us just fly back on our own?"

Laozi asked, his face full of helplessness.

Tongtian blinked and turned his gaze to Hongjun.

Given Hongjun's current state, he didn't believe Hongjun wasn't anxious to attain enlightenment and become a Sage. How could he possibly let Laozi and Yuanshi be dead weight again, like they were on the way here?

Sure enough, Hongjun's face darkened at Laozi's words, and he said flatly, "This matter has already delayed us long enough."

"Fellow Daoist Tongtian makes a valid point. The two of you should go inside now."

With that, he couldn't be bothered to waste more words on his two disciples. He flicked his sleeve.

The two instantly turned into streaks of light and flew back into the Heavenly Yellow Linglong Pagoda.

Tongtian grinned and followed Hongjun as they flew toward Kunlun Mountain.

To return to Kunlun as quickly as possible, Hongjun, whose cultivation had improved, directly employed a great divine ability. Without wasting much time, he brought Tongtian back to Kunlun.

At the summit of Kunlun Mountain.

Hongjun mused, "I have gained quite a bit. For the time to come, I likely won't appear again in the Primordial World."

"Instead, I plan to go into seclusion and attain enlightenment."

"You, young friend, have done me a great favor this time. If you have any requests, you may speak them now."

As he said this, his mood was somewhat complicated.

If not for Tongtian's help this time, he feared he would have had to fight Rahou to the death!

And Tongtian's intervention had also incurred a massive karmic debt on Hongjun's part.

If he didn't repay this debt, he simply couldn't rest easy.

Tongtian understood Hongjun's meaning, but he already had plenty of spiritual treasures in hand.

Besides, merely asking for some spiritual treasures wouldn't be of much use to him now.

What he lacked most at the moment was the method of the Origin!

Only by mastering the Dao of the Origin could he take another step forward.

So, without much hesitation, Tongtian said directly, "I hope Senior Hongjun can impart to me the insights of the Dao of the Origin."

"I intend to cultivate the Dao of the Origin, following in the footsteps of Father God."

"I ask for your guidance."

Hongjun was shocked by these words. He hadn't expected Tongtian to want to cultivate the Dao of the Origin!

This was an extremely difficult path to walk.

He thought it over and decided to offer some advice.

"The Dao of the Origin is hard to cultivate. You saw earlier that I practice a different method."

"That method is called the Three Corpses Severing Method, which I deduced and created myself."

"If you wish to advance your cultivation further, I can teach you the Three Corpses Severing Method."

"As for the Dao of the Origin, with your talent, breaking through to the Golden Immortal of the Origin is not difficult, but achieving anything greater will be extremely challenging."

Tongtian said solemnly, "Thank you for your guidance, Senior Hongjun."

"But the technique I cultivate is closely tied to Father God."

"Therefore, your Three Corpses Severing Method is likely unsuitable for me. I still prefer to cultivate the Dao of the Origin."

No way—he was currently practicing not only the Nine Revolutions Profound Skill but also the Nine Revolutions Primordial Skill.

With both combined, he had to walk the Dao of the Origin to unleash the full power of his techniques.

As for the Three Corpses Severing Method, given his foundation and talent, he already looked down on it.

At its core, the Three Corpses Severing Method was a shortcut, capable only of achieving the status of a Sage of the Heavenly Dao.

What he truly wanted was the path of the Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal of the Origin!

Hongjun saw through his thoughts and sighed lightly. "Fine! Each has their own aspirations. Since you choose to cultivate the Dao of the Origin, I will say no more."

"I have cultivated the Dao of the Origin for many years and still struggle to break through that barrier."

"If you regret your choice in the future, you can always take up the Three Corpses Severing Method."

This was also leaving a path of retreat for Tongtian.

With that, Hongjun formed a hand seal with one hand, and countless insights and realizations about the Origin transformed into beams of light, all surging into Tongtian's mind.

In an instant, Tongtian gained many understandings of the Dao of the Origin and even learned how to break through to the Golden Immortal of the Origin!

"Thank you, Senior!"

Tongtian was overjoyed. With his current cultivation, he could have long achieved the Golden Immortal of the Origin; what he lacked was the method itself.

Now that the method was in hand, he could finally break through his current cultivation level.

After imparting the Dao of the Origin, Hongjun said, "Next, I will go into seclusion to attain enlightenment."

"Let the three of you brothers cultivate well within Kunlun Mountain!"

"After I emerge from seclusion, I still have a certain opportunity to bestow upon you."

Tongtian gave a slight bow, understanding that Hongjun was referring to the sermon at the Purple Cloud Palace.

Hongjun said no more, and his figure vanished directly above Kunlun Mountain.

After Hongjun departed, Tongtian released Laozi and Yuanshi from the Heavenly Yellow Linglong Pagoda.

Laozi and Yuanshi looked around at the familiar scenery with bewildered expressions, realizing they had already returned to Kunlun Mountain.

"Where... where has the master gone?"

"Did he leave any teachings for the two of us to cultivate?"