Eternal Time and Space

Chapter 39 Merit and Fruition

The corpses of countless fallen warriors were bathed in the light of the heavens. The corpses, which had been frozen for hundreds of years, began to decompose in the light, turning into countless points of light that merged into the world and returned to the heavens.

And above the heavens, immeasurable merit began to gather.

The profound and yellow merits converged on Mo Yun and Hong Qing from all directions, condensing above their heads and finally transforming into two fist-sized Dao fruits, all of profound and yellow, with countless fine light patterns flowing across their surfaces.

This is the result of merit and virtue.

Any cultivator who refines it can ascend to the heavens in one step, directly stepping from the mortal realm to the peak of the Great Luo Golden Immortal. This is the highest gift that the Heavenly Dao bestows upon those undergoing tribulations, an opportunity that countless cultivators dream of but can never reach in their entire lives.

However, Mo Yun and Hong Qing only glanced at it before looking away. They had already surpassed the Great Luo Golden Immortal realm. For ordinary cultivators, this merit fruit was a ladder to heaven, but for them, it was nothing more than an insignificant external object.

Hongqing absorbed the merit and Dao fruit into his body. The moment the Dao fruit entered his body, the pure Qi of creation surging around Hongqing's body lit up slightly, and then returned to calm.

Mo Yun then directly invested his merits and achievements into the Milky Way Axis.

The moment the Dao Fruit fell into the painting, boundless golden light burst forth from the Milky Way Axis, which began to transform under the infusion of the power of merit.

Within the painting, the light of the sun, moon, and stars shone brightly at the same time. The light of the sun became three times more intense, while the light of the moon became three times more serene. The seven stars of the Big Dipper, the six stars of the Southern Dipper, Venus, Mars, and countless other stars all shone even more brilliantly at this moment. The edge of the starry sky began to expand outward, new stars condensed in the void, and new star orbits intertwined in the void.

The essence of the Milky Way Axis is being elevated, transforming from an acquired treasure into an acquired merit treasure.

Acquired merit treasures are comparable to innate treasures. Innate treasures are formed naturally from fragments of the Great Dao at the time of creation, containing innate energy and the authority of the Heavenly Dao. Acquired merit treasures are treasures made from acquired materials and methods, and then infused with immeasurable merit to elevate their essence and reach the same level as innate treasures.

One is born naturally, the other is acquired later in life; their power is roughly equal.

However, the power of a single merit fruit is not enough for the Milky Way Axis to complete this transformation.

After expanding to its maximum, the golden light of the Milky Way Axis began to slowly recede, its power of merit exhausted.

Even so, the starry world in the painting is nearly twice as vast as before, and the number of stars has doubled, but the essential leap has not yet been completed.

Mo Yun sensed the changes in the Milky Way Axis, but there was no disappointment on his face. If one merit fruit was not enough, then two would be enough; if two were not enough, then four would be enough. The Milky Way Axis was his foundation and also the carrier of the Star Sea Heaven Realm. Every time the essence of the Milky Way Axis improved, the Star Sea Heaven Realm became stronger, and his cultivation also increased accordingly. This path was feasible; it just required more merit.

As the Milky Way Axis underwent its transformation, Mo Yun's own cultivation aura also improved significantly. Although it was not enough for him to advance further from the Innate Great Saint Realm, it at least saved him tens of thousands of years of arduous cultivation.

Over the years, Zi Chen has been deducing the path ahead in the depths of the starry sea. He already has a general outline of the realm beyond the Innate Great Saint Realm in his mind, and he named this realm "Creation".

The Primordial Great Sage establishes heaven and earth, while Creation brings heaven and earth to life. The Primordial Great Sage builds the framework of the Three Realms, while Creation brings the Three Realms to life. The Heavenly Realm gives birth to the Heavenly Dao, the Underworld establishes order, and the Human Realm is infused with spirituality. The Three Realms interact, endlessly regenerating, forming a complete and self-sustaining world.

According to Zi Chen's deduction, the strength of the Creation Realm is comparable to that of a Primordial Golden Immortal of the Great Luo Realm in the Primordial World, or even surpasses it.

According to the Heavenly Dao, the Primordial Golden Immortal entrusts himself to the Primordial Heavenly Dao and achieves sainthood through the power of the Heavenly Dao, while the Creation Realm transforms itself into heaven and earth, not entrusting itself to anything outside or relying on anyone else.

There are two paths: one is to seek integration outwards, and the other is to seek transformation inwards.

But this path is too difficult. Zi Chen's current foundation is not enough to perfect this idea. He needs more accumulation, more rare and precious materials, more insights into the Dao, more merit, and more origin.

The gap between the Innate Great Saint Realm and the Creation Realm is deeper than Zi Chen had anticipated; he still needs time.

On the battlefield, five sounds suddenly rang out: the roar of dragons, the howl of tigers, the cry of phoenixes, the roar of turtles, and the howl of unicorns.

The moment the immeasurable merit entered their bodies, the five clan leaders—Meng Zhang, Jian Bing, Ling Guang, Zhi Ming, and Kun Lun—felt their energy levels rise steadily.

The five of them were already at the peak of the Great Luo Golden Immortal realm, only one step away from surpassing it. The accumulation of countless years, the tempering of countless battles, and the infusion of countless merits all erupted at this moment. All the past insights, past accumulations, and all the power that had been suppressed below the threshold of the Heavenly Dao, burst through the threshold that stood above the Great Luo Golden Immortal realm like a flood breaking through a dam.

Meng Zhang was the first to be promoted, and his body suddenly swelled up.

Azure dragon scales surged from beneath his skin, covering his entire body. His body lengthened, his spine bulged, and his tail extended. In just a few breaths, Meng Zhang transformed into a giant azure dragon.

The dragon's body, stretching for thousands of miles, churned in the sea of ​​clouds. Its head emerged from the clouds, while its tail remained at the edge of the sky. Clouds and mist swirled around it, partially obscuring its form. Within the clouds and mist, the dragon's scales reflected azure light, each scale resembling a floating mountain. Its eyes were like two azure suns, and its horns were like two towering divine peaks.

At this moment, the destiny of heaven changed, and Mo Yun and Hong Qing naturally realized that above the Great Luo Golden Immortal was the Primordial Golden Immortal. Only by breaking through tribulations, accumulating merit, and gaining the approval of the Heavenly Dao could one gather the great power of the Heavenly Dao and step into this realm.

The Great Luo Golden Immortal is the ultimate cultivation level for living beings, the limit that living beings can reach through their own aptitude and effort, while the Primordial Golden Immortal is different.

To become a Primordial Golden Immortal, one needs the approval of the Heavenly Dao and must use immeasurable merit as a guide to integrate the power of the Heavenly Dao into oneself. This is not a realm that can be reached through mere arduous cultivation; it requires a gift from the Heavenly Dao.

After Meng Zhang, Ling Guang was promoted.

A phoenix cry resounded through the heavens, and Ling Guang's figure transformed into a phoenix that blotted out the sky. Its crimson wings spread out, burning half the sky into a fiery red, dazzling to the extreme.

The phoenix's tail feathers stretched for millions of miles, trailing across the sky like a burning celestial river. Each tail feather was ablaze with crimson-gold flames, within which countless phantom images of phoenixes could be faintly seen dancing. The phoenix raised its head and let out a clear and melodious cry. At that moment, all the flames in the world danced simultaneously, as if paying homage to the King of All Fires.