Chapter 1553: Merit Qi
After Tian Shu and Tian Miao self-detonated their Saint Sources, the metallic and water-type energies they released were collected by Ling Xiu, condensing into a black and a golden mist that he held in his palms.
The birth process of Gold Spirit and Water Spirit was incredibly arduous, and those who managed to cultivate to the Saint King realm were extremely rare.
Take Tian Miao, for example. She was originally a wisp of Water Spirit Source Qi at the bottom of a ten-thousand-mile Sacred Lake. After millions of years of weathering wind and rain, absorbing the essence of heaven and earth and the radiance of the sun and moon day and night, she barely gave birth to a spark of intelligence.
Later, she received guidance from a great figure and finally embarked on the path of cultivation.
No one knows how many years she cultivated before she condensed a human form, and only then did her cultivation speed accelerate.
It was precisely because of countless eons of cultivation that the Water Spirit Source Qi forming her body was refined to an extremely high level, making it a supreme treasure among the Five Elements treasures.
Ling Xiu’s gaze fell on Zhang Ruochen and Ling Feiyu, and he said, "Such high-purity Water Spirit Source and Gold Spirit Source are excellent treasures for the two of you to strengthen your physical bodies."
For a Spiritual Power Great Saint to give such high praise showed that the golden and black mists were indeed extraordinary.
Zhang Ruochen clasped his hands in a fist salute to show respect for the Great Saint, then spoke neither humbly nor arrogantly: "One should not accept rewards without merit. Senior, you can give the Water Spirit Source and Gold Spirit Source to Palace Master Ling. I, this junior, have already cultivated the Five Elements Chaos Body and no longer need Five Elements treasures to refine my physical body."
In terms of physical cultivation, Ling Feiyu and Zhang Ruochen were on the same path.
She had cultivated the "Four Spirit Treasure Body," which was one rank lower than the "Five Elements Chaos Body."
Of course, the Five Elements mutually generate and sustain each other in an endless cycle. The five powers of Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth form a loop that can transform into one another.
Therefore, a cultivator with the Four Spirit Treasure Body only needed to refine and absorb more Five Elements treasures for their physical constitution to gradually approach the Five Elements Chaos Body. Accumulated to a certain extent, it could even transform into a "Pseudo Five Elements Chaos Body."
Ling Xiu said, "Feiyu’s Four Spirit Treasure Body cannot absorb so much Water Spirit Source and Gold Spirit Source. Besides, for her to cultivate the Pseudo Five Elements Chaos Body, she still needs your help. So, just consider them a form of compensation."
Ling Feiyu stood to the side, expressionless, but a hint of dissatisfaction with Zhang Ruochen flickered in her eyes. She said, "Is the Five Elements Chaos Body really that impressive?"
Zhang Ruochen clicked his tongue but didn’t argue with Ling Feiyu. He simply smiled slightly and said, "Since that’s the case, I thank Senior for your kindness. I will naturally do my utmost to help Palace Master Ling cultivate the Pseudo Five Elements Chaos Body."
Ling Xiu gave Zhang Ruochen a meaningful glance and smiled noncommittally. "It just so happens that the Empress has sent some Divine Blood over. I can fuse it with the Divine Blood. Then, when you refine the Gold Spirit Source and Water Spirit Source, you can also absorb the Divine Blood into your bodies. Your physical cultivation should make a leap forward."
Upon learning that he would have to absorb the Divine Blood sent by Chi Yao, Zhang Ruochen instinctively felt repulsed.
Just then, he noticed Ling Feiyu’s star-like eyes emitting an extremely sharp light, staring at him without blinking.
Her gaze was piercing, like a sharp sword.
Zhang Ruochen did not retreat or avoid it; he met her gaze directly.
They didn’t exchange words, but Zhang Ruochen understood that Ling Feiyu wanted him to bravely face the scars in his heart instead of constantly running away.
Gradually, the repulsion in Zhang Ruochen’s heart faded somewhat. He said, "I’m curious. Since Kunlun Realm’s ranking has reached 2,744, it could leave Shatuo Heaven Domain and move to a Heaven Domain with a better cultivation environment. Why hasn’t it done so yet?"
Liku Saint Domain was right next to Chilong Saint Domain, very close, so Zhang Ruochen was well aware that Ling Xiu and the Moon Worship Demon Sect’s cultivators had not left Liku Saint Domain.
Ling Xiu let out a long sigh, looked up at the sky above, and said, "The Heavenly Court Realm is a very cruel place. Kunlun Realm managed to gain a foothold in Shatuo Heaven Domain because the major worlds there are relatively weak. Although they still suppress Kunlun Realm, Kunlun Realm has the ability to fight back."
"But if it moved to a Heaven Domain with a better cultivation environment, the major worlds there would certainly be much stronger. Kunlun Realm would probably have no place to stand and would only be oppressed and exploited."
Zhang Ruochen suddenly understood, recalling what the Moon God had told him back then. Guanghan Realm, in those top-tier Heaven Domains, had been enslaved and exploited, leading to its current decline.
If, a hundred thousand years ago, the Great Saints of Guanghan Realm had been wise enough to move directly to Shatuo Heaven Domain, they probably wouldn’t have weakened to this extent.
Of course, having stayed too long in a superior environment, who would be willing to go to a resource-poor place?
Zhang Ruochen couldn’t help but admire Chi Yao for this. No matter the time, she always made the most rational, correct, and decisive decisions, unaffected by any external factors.
Finally, Zhang Ruochen said, "Tell me how much Divine Blood is used, and I’ll buy it at twice the price in Sacred Stones."
Ling Xiu knew about Zhang Ruochen’s inner conflict and didn’t say much, just nodding.
Then, Zhang Ruochen walked toward Wang Xu, who was lying on the ground.
Wang Xu’s brow had a bloody hole, and most of his head was covered in blood lines. He lay motionless, but Zhang Ruochen could sense that there was still a fluctuation of life force within him.
Zhang Ruochen was filled with curiosity. "It’s incredible. What kind of life form is he?"
"Not good."
Ling Xiu’s brows twitched, and his expression changed drastically. His Spiritual Power surged out like a tsunami, sweeping across a thousand miles. Energy vortices enveloped Zhang Ruochen and Ling Feiyu, lifting them off the ground.
Zhang Ruochen and Ling Feiyu didn’t understand what was happening and looked startled.
"Boom, rumble."
Below, centered on Wang Xu’s body, the ground within five hundred miles sank, leaving only a bottomless abyss, pitch black.
"Who might you be, Your Excellency?"
Suddenly, Ling Xiu’s aura became extremely fierce. His five fingers formed a claw shape, and the Sacred Qi of the entire Liku Saint Domain was mobilized, converging like ten thousand Qi dragons above his head before furiously attacking the bottom of the abyss.
From the bottom of the abyss, a beam of light shot out, shattering the Qi dragons and charging straight into the sky with unstoppable force, scattering all the clouds in the sky.
"Cultivating the path of Spiritual Power is not easy. Since you’ve become a Great Saint, you should cherish your life. Don’t provoke enemies you can’t afford to offend. Otherwise, you’ll face divine form annihilation."
A majestic voice, vast and distant, echoed in the ears of Zhang Ruochen and the others.
Ling Feiyu said coldly, "Quite the arrogant tone."
"Indeed, very arrogant," Zhang Ruochen said, his expression also darkening.
Ling Xiu, however, knew that the being who had taken Wang Xu away was above him in cultivation. In just an instant, it had already left Liku Saint Domain, its aura vanishing between heaven and earth.
It could be said to have come without a trace and left without a shadow.
Nevertheless, Ling Xiu was fearless and remained calm. He said, "So, you two must work hard on your cultivation and strive to reach the Great Saint realm as soon as possible. With your talents, once you become Great Saints, you will surely be among the strongest. Where in the entire Heavenly Court Realm can you not go? Then we’ll see if they still dare to be so arrogant."
Both Zhang Ruochen and Ling Feiyu felt the importance of power. Without strong power in the Heavenly Court Realm, one would be bullied everywhere.
...
Now, the Moon Worship Demon Sect was completely split, with one part following Ling Xiu and the other following Shi Qianjue.
Ling Xiu had established the Moon Worship Demon Sect’s headquarters in the Heavenly Court Realm at the largest sacred land in Liku Saint Domain, Cloud Lake Sacred Land. At the moment, Zhang Ruochen and the others had stopped their journey and temporarily come to Cloud Lake Sacred Land to heal their injuries.
Ling Xiu had taken the Gold Spirit Source and Water Spirit Source into a demon hall and hadn’t come out, only instructing Zhang Ruochen to wait for two days.
Zhang Ruochen sat cross-legged by Cloud Lake, swallowed a healing pill, and took out the Merit Divine Seal to study it carefully.
The white jade layer outside the Merit Divine Seal was made of a very hard Sacred Jade, with nothing special about it. However, the multicolored mist inside the Sacred Jade was extremely mysterious. Zhang Ruochen tried to probe it with his Spiritual Power but couldn’t determine what it was.
"Shua."
A purple shadow flickered beside Zhang Ruochen, then condensed into a stunningly beautiful tall woman, who was Ling Feiyu, the Palace Master of the Moon Worship Demon Sect’s Saint Maiden Palace.
Ling Feiyu seemed to see the confusion in Zhang Ruochen’s heart and said, "That is Merit Qi."
"Merit Qi?" Zhang Ruochen was quite puzzled.
"One of the most important purposes of the gods of the Heavenly Court Realm establishing the Merit Divine Temple is to collect the Merit Qi generated by living beings across the various worlds of the universe. Using this Merit Qi, they can refine all kinds of mysterious and unparalleled treasures. Some of these treasures can enhance a cultivator’s cultivation, some can improve their physique, some can boost their wisdom... and some even go beyond our understanding," Ling Feiyu said.
Zhang Ruochen said, "They can even improve physique and cultivation? Such supreme treasures must make cultivators from every major world envious. How can they be distributed fairly and justly?"
"That’s where the Merit War comes in," Ling Feiyu said.
"The Heavenly Court Realm encourages cultivators from all major worlds to fight against the Hell Realm. Based on the amount of battle merit, Merit Treasures are fairly distributed to the major worlds and cultivators. The more Hell Realm cultivators you kill, the higher your merit value, and the more Merit Treasures you can obtain. That’s why the Merit War is called the Merit War."
Then, Ling Feiyu took out a crystal-clear small bottle containing a multicolored liquid. She said, "Look, this is the Merit Sword-Washing Marrow that the Merit Divine Temple rewarded me. It can temper the Sword Soul I’ve cultivated and enhance my attainment in the Sword Dao."
Zhang Ruochen heard a somewhat unfamiliar term and asked, "Sword Soul? What is a Sword Soul?"