Chapter 12: Merit Gambling, Death-Substituting Shadow Puppet

"A colorful merit fish, a billion-point jackpot."

Since rumors had been flying everywhere for a long time and everyone was discussing it, Lu Yang had little trouble figuring out the truth of the matter.

It turned out that within the Primordial Saint Sect, there was a permanent special mission called "Accumulating Merit."

The location was deep within the Sea of Clouds, beneath the Sacred Fire Cliff, at a precious site known as the "Merit Pool." Within the pool lived a unique spiritual beast called the "Merit Fish."

The fish came in five colors: white, blue, purple, gold, and colorful.

The closer the fish was to being colorful, the more potent its essence. Consuming it could not only improve the quality of one's true qi but could even serve to break through cultivation bottlenecks.

The so-called "Accumulating Merit" mission was born from this.

Each person was limited to taking this mission once a month. One would first blind-select a number, and then by paying 10 contribution points, they could take out the merit fish corresponding to that number.

However, the 10 contribution points paid by the cultivators were not reclaimed by the Saint Sect; instead, they were recorded as credit within the Merit Pool. High-ranking officials of the Saint Sect had specifically explained this: if anyone could select the one and only colorful merit fish in the pool, they would receive all the contribution points accumulated within the Merit Pool!

Since the mission was first released, nearly a hundred years had passed.

Yet, in all those years, not a single person had selected the colorful merit fish. As a result, the contribution points in the pool had accumulated more and more, eventually reaching an astronomical figure.

"A billion. A billion!"

In his rocking chair, the old man was still muttering in a low voice, his tone filled with envy, jealousy, and hatred.

Just yesterday, this "Merit Lottery" super jackpot finally had a winner, and the disciple who obtained it had been in the sect for less than ten days.

A hundred-year prize pool, taken by a newcomer who had been a disciple for less than ten days!

It was no wonder the old man from the Library Pavilion felt unbalanced; after all, his own contributions to the Merit Pool over the years were part of that billion-point jackpot.

Not to mention that while Xiao Shiye obtained the billion-point jackpot, he also obtained the most precious colorful merit fish. After consuming it, he broke through from the first layer of Qi Refinement to the Great Circle of Qi Refinement overnight. He had already been taken in as a disciple by a True Person of the sect and was currently in seclusion, preparing to attempt Foundation Establishment.

Faced with such circumstances, even Lu Yang could not help but show a hint of envy.

However, his expression soon changed... because that lucky winner, Xiao Shiye, had not hidden the number he chose when he drew the colorful merit fish.

"2025113"

Looking at this number, Lu Yang couldn't help but swallow hard.

Just as Lu Yang was firmly committing this string of numbers to memory, intending to use them in his next life, a graceful figure suddenly walked into the Library Pavilion.

"Junior Brother Lu."

Lu Yang looked up at the sound of her voice and immediately recognized her. It was Fairy Qingchen. She seemed quite surprised as well, her lovely face carrying a hint of pleasant surprise at the chance encounter.

"Oh, it's Qingchen. Is it time?"

The old man from the Library Pavilion also saw Fairy Qingchen. His previously bored expression instantly turned serious, and he stood up, saying, "Then let us depart immediately."

"Senior Brother, are you also going to explore a cave dwelling?" Lu Yang asked curiously.

"What else?" the old man said irritably. "I just lost a huge sum of money. If I don't find some extra income soon, I'll be left with nothing but the wind to drink!"

"Lost a huge sum of money?"

"Sigh, it was my own carelessness," the old man sighed. "A while ago, the Saint Sect and the Jade Pivot Sword Pavilion of Jiangnan fought a great battle."

"The Jade Pivot Sword Pavilion came prepared and forcibly seized a Ten-Thousand-Man Pit belonging to the Saint Sect in the south."

"The 'Substitute Death Yin Remains' produced in that pit are very precious treasures. Once the pit was taken, their price within the Saint Sect skyrocketed instantly."

"At first, everyone was hoarding them. Out of caution, I watched from the sidelines for a while."

"Later, I noticed the price only went up and never fell. Feeling that the opportunity was slipping away, I finally acted and bought a large batch from others at a high price."

At this point, the old man from the Library Pavilion was utterly heartbroken, slapping his thigh in regret. "Who would have thought that just as I finished hoarding them, news arrived that the Saint Sect had launched a counterattack and reclaimed the Ten-Thousand-Man Pit? As a result, the prices that had just surged plummeted instantly, falling even below the original price!"

Lu Yang: "..."

"But fortunately, there is Qingchen." The old man sighed for a moment before pulling himself together again, exclaiming, "Qingchen is a good person."

Fairy Qingchen gave a shy smile. "Senior Brother, you flatter me."

"I speak from the bottom of my heart," the old man said sincerely. "If you hadn't recommended Senior Brother Zhao to me, I'm afraid I wouldn't have even recovered my principal."

"It was merely a small favor," Fairy Qingchen said modestly. "Senior Brother Zhao happened to be short of a batch of Substitute Death Yin Remains, and since you had a batch in hand, I was simply in the right place at the right time. I only hope that when we explore the cave dwellings later, if I see something I like, you can assist me a little."

Senior Brother Zhao... Zhao Xuhe? Lu Yang's heart stirred slightly.

"By the way, Junior Brother Lu."

It was only then that Fairy Qingchen seemed to remember Lu Yang. She turned her head to look at him. "Regarding this exploration of the cave dwellings, do you really not intend to come along?"

"...Please excuse my inadequacy, Senior Sister."

Lu Yang shook his head. "I have only recently joined the sect and have little influence or strength. I only wish to focus on my cultivation. Exploring cave dwellings is too dangerous; I truly lack the capacity."

"Kid, I don't like the sound of that."

The old man from the Library Pavilion shook his head. "Focusing on cultivation? For ordinary disciples like us who have no money or power, simply burying our heads in cultivation will lead to no immortal path."

"Cultivation is, by nature, an act of defying heaven. If you don't take risks, how can your cultivation advance rapidly?"

"When everyone else feels fear and wants to retreat, that is exactly when you should bravely try and strive. Only then can you seize opportunities!"

*When others fear, you are greedy; no wonder you went bankrupt.*

No matter how much the old man from the Library Pavilion embellished his words, Lu Yang politely refused. Frustrated, the old man left with a parting remark of "a piece of rotten wood that cannot be carved."

Seeing this, Fairy Qingchen found it difficult to say more. She merely gave Lu Yang a deep look before turning to leave. She accompanied the old man to a secluded cave dwelling on Heaven-Mending Peak, asking him to wait in the outer courtyard before she entered the inner courtyard and approached a quiet room.

A moment later, the door to the quiet room opened, and Zhao Xuhe stepped out.

"Failed again? He still didn't agree?"

Listening to Fairy Qingchen's account, Zhao Xuhe's brow gradually furrowed. "He truly has a steadfast Dao heart. Very well, it matters little without him."

"Senior Brother, I think there is something wrong with this person."

Fairy Qingchen bit her lip slightly. "The life lamps of my three lovers went out. I sent them to kill that fellow last night, but it seems they failed."

"As you know, Senior Brother, my three lovers were all at the third layer of Qi Refinement. For Lu Yang to kill them... could he already be at the mid-stage?"

"Impossible! Absolutely impossible!"

Zhao Xuhe shook his head without hesitation. "Breaking through a bottleneck is no easy feat. In just a few days, he could at most have reached the third layer of Qi Refinement; it is impossible for him to have reached the mid-stage."

"You needn't be so suspicious. I have checked his purchase records."

"He bought so many Primordial Qi Pills. If he consumed them regardless of the cost, reaching the third layer of Qi Refinement wouldn't be unexpected. As for your three lovers..."

"He used a cultivation loan to purchase a divine ability—the Divine Sky Sword Control True Manual of the Jade Pivot Sword Pavilion," Zhao Xuhe analyzed methodically, peeling back the layers of the situation. "If he is exceptionally gifted and has comprehension in the way of the sword, allowing him to master the sword manual quickly, then slaying your three lovers wouldn't be that strange."

"Senior Brother is right."

Fairy Qingchen pondered for a moment and felt that Zhao Xuhe's analysis was more reasonable. After all, she knew firsthand how difficult the mid-stage bottleneck was.

It had taken her nearly ten years to barely break through.

To suggest that a newly joined disciple had broken through in less than a month was nothing short of a fairy tale, unless he was a True Person reincarnated for cultivation.

"Enough, we will discuss this matter later."

Zhao Xuhe waved his hand, a cold light flashing in his eyes. "Let us handle the 'cave dwelling' matter first. Have all the people been gathered?"

"They have," Fairy Qingchen nodded. "Especially Wang Bairong from the Library Pavilion. Since you bought his Substitute Death Yin Remains, he trusts us deeply now."

"That's good."

Zhao Xuhe gave a cold smile. "Our Saint Sect has always produced many talents. Whether we can use this opportunity to make a massive profit depends entirely on my fellow disciples..."

(End of Chapter)