Born with immortal seed

Chapter 638 Determining Merit
"Furthermore, the Ancestor of the Dharma has sent an oral decree stating that the True Lord's merits are worthy of being inscribed on metal and stone, recorded in bamboo and silk, and shining through the ages. This is truly an unparalleled achievement. His merits can be said to cover the entire universe, and his might can shake the ten continents and the eight great seas. As agreed, a fifth-grade spiritual land can be obtained, and the True Lord will be invited to serve as the commander-in-chief of the Eastern Expedition to annihilate the demon race!"

Yu Ziliang lagged behind Bai Zichen by one step, followed by a large number of cultivators from various families.

Upon hearing this, everyone blushed and lost their composure in excitement.

That's a fifth-tier spiritual land, a necessary prerequisite for reaching the Nascent Soul stage.

On Zuzhou, all the fifth-tier spiritual lands are monopolized by a few Nascent Soul sects, and no other forces are allowed to get their hands on them.

Even many sects that produced their first Nascent Soul cultivators borrowed spiritual lands from other sects.

If a cultivator is old enough, he should still remember the domineering and tyrannical nature of the Moral Sect and feel that their usual behavior is child's play.

When a new fifth-tier spiritual land appears, the Moral Sect will be so forceful that it will not tolerate the slightest disobedience. Any sect that dares to harbor any covetous thoughts will suffer the most terrible blow.

Only those who are upright and have the power to transform into gods and walk the world are qualified to stand on the same stage as it.

Like the former Taibai Sword Sect, and like the current Kasyapa Sect.

The reason why the Five Phoenix Sword Sect and the Morality Sect were at odds for a time was because a ghost city rose from the ground in the Ten Earthly Fengdu a thousand years ago.

The aura of a fifth-tier spiritual land flashed by within the city, and the news spread, attracting a rush from all sides, creating a tense atmosphere.

Among them, the Five Phoenix Sword Sect and the Heavenly Star Sect have the greatest advantage when they join forces, with elites from both super sects coming out together, and each having a reclusive Nascent Soul Ancestor behind them.

Most sects, upon seeing this display of force, would abandon any thoughts of vying for it.

But just as the various sects had cleared out the surface-level ghosts and were preparing to explore the fifth-order spiritual land, the Moral Sect suddenly intervened.

It was an extremely rare sight that all five peaks mobilized together, forming a lineup of more than ten Nascent Soul True Monarchs and three Great True Monarchs, and they also brought out the Heavenly Treasure.

If the site is cleared within three days and refunds are not given after that period, coercive measures will be taken.

Three days later, apart from the Five Phoenix Sword Sect and the Heavenly Star Sect, all other forces obediently withdrew.

Three more Arhats from the Kasyapa sect descended, saying they had been invited by the Daode sect to exterminate ghosts and demons and suppress the underworld.

In response, the Tianxing Sect advocated for concessions, while the Wuhuang Sword Sect attempted to engage in a contest of magical powers.

In the end, it was the current Five Phoenix Sword Sect leader who made the final decision, withdrawing from the Ten Realms of Fengdu with endless humiliation.

From then on, he opposed the Daode Sect in every aspect.

However, the Daode Sect spent more than ten years searching in the Ten Earthly Fengdu before finally finding a spiritual land that could survive in the gaps between the surrounding underworld.

It did indeed reach the fifth rank, but now it's like a tattered sack, unable to hold back the little spiritual energy it has generated.

It was those powerful beings who descended from the realm who attacked and destroyed a spiritual vein.

Apart from this fifth-tier spiritual land, the other spiritual lands are even worse, probably tainted by the netherworld energy flowing in from underground.

Upon closer examination, it was discovered that this place was completely unsuitable for monks to live in.

Let alone using it to break through to the Nascent Soul stage, even Nascent Soul cultivators who meditate and cultivate for a long time will find the spiritual energy scarce, and there is even a risk of being invaded by the Netherworld Qi.

There is only one type of person: those who completely abandon their physical body, transform their yang spirit into yin, and embark on the path of ghost cultivation.

All of the above demonstrates the value and status of a fifth-tier spiritual land.

However, considering Bai Zichen's strength, rewarding him with a fifth-tier spiritual land is only normal.

They all have the ability to defeat the Red-Eared Ancestor. Even if the Moral Sect doesn't open the door, wouldn't they just go and get it themselves?

"Please thank the Holy Lord of the Dharma for me... However, I have no experience in commanding the Eastern Expedition, so please find someone more capable."

Bai Zichen chuckled and waved his hand. The fifth-tier spiritual land was a promise made by the Holy Lord of the Dharma on Heavenly Punishment Peak. He was granted a fifth-tier spiritual land for his outstanding military achievements.

His feat of slaying the Dragon King alone would have placed him among the top three in the entire battle, even though he missed the first two.

Furthermore, by reversing the attack on the Crimson-Eared Ancestor, he distanced himself from all the Nascent Soul True Monarchs, leaving no room for doubt.

However, he did not expect the Holy Lord of Propagation to act so quickly, without dragging things out and waiting until the end of the entire battle to discuss merits and rewards.

They probably realized that even if Bai Zichen withdrew now, no one could possibly come close to his level of achievement.

The so-called command of the Eastern Expedition that followed was probably an extra reward, a reward for his achievements that far exceeded expectations.

This position can determine the order of deployment of the human alliance's eastern expedition, the main direction of attack, and the mobilization of various sects in the rear, all of which are within their control.

This is a treaty signed by the Moral Sect in conjunction with all the super sects to jointly defend against the demon race. It establishes a wartime command center, and all strategic, planning, personnel, and resource arrangements related to the war between the two races have decision-making power that transcends the sects.

During the great war, it was considered the supreme authority of the human race.

However, Qingfeng Sect is not a sect in the Central Region, so even if Bai Zichen takes on this position, he cannot exert his full influence.

If it were a sect in the Central Region, and its patriarch became the commander-in-chief of the Eastern Expedition, he could have made a fortune by the end of the war and possessed wealth beyond imagination.

He comes from a sect in the Northern Region, so unless he intends to have the entire Qingfeng Sect relocate to the Central Region, there is not much room for him to exert his influence.

Compared to the intangible benefits this position could bring, he hoped to gain more direct benefits from the Moral Sect, such as the Northern Heavenly Divine Mud that he had been longing for.

"The position of commander-in-chief is of utmost importance. It also involves evaluating merits and judging merits. Apart from figures like True Monarchs, even if other cultivators were to take this position, it would be difficult to gain the respect of the masses... As for lack of experience, with the assistance of advisors and the support of various sects, it is not as difficult as one might imagine."

Yu Ziliang lowered his voice and deliberately emphasized the words "evaluate" and "judge".

"We urge the True Lord to consider the well-being of all people and accept this heavy responsibility!"

"For the sake of all living beings and for the peace and tranquility of the common people, please, True Lord, accept this heavy responsibility!"

"For the sake of all living beings and for the peace and tranquility of the common people, please, True Lord, accept this heavy responsibility!"

Someone shouted, and representatives from other sects followed suit, one after another.

"Since that's the case, then I'll reluctantly accept it... Please point out any shortcomings in my work."

Bai Zichen understood what the other party meant and nodded in agreement.

If he could decide the extent of the merits of cultivators from all sides after the war with a single word, then there would indeed be a great deal of room for manipulation.

Having completed the transformation from a lone wolf to a regional giant, he holds yet another distinct identity for those sects.

Previously, he was the Time Sword Lord with unparalleled combat power; later, he became the White True Lord, the commander of the Eastern Expedition, who held a high position and whose word could decide the rise and fall of countless sects.

A single word can mobilize resources worth hundreds of millions of spirit stones; a single decision can send tens of thousands of cultivators to the front lines; and a reward for the recovery of a spiritual vein can send participating sects teetering between heaven and hell.

Such a status, compared to a Great True Lord whose combat power is comparable to a Nascent Soul cultivator, presents a different kind of deterrent force.

The combination of the two will undoubtedly make him the most powerful Nascent Soul True Lord in the history of the cultivation world.

"Please, True Lord, formally determine the merits of this campaign before the Eastern Expedition, so as to reassure the hearts of all cultivators... These are the current basic merits, and we request the Commander-in-Chief to make the final decision."

Yu Ziliang took out a golden cloud-patterned scroll and bowed to hand it over.

"So fast, you must have been waiting for me here all along, right?"

Bai Zichen took the scroll without a second thought; this kind of thing was the easiest way to offend people.

Those at the back are one thing, but those at the front are all super-large orders, it's like putting the person who created the merit list on a volcano to roast.

Fortunately, given Bai Zichen's current prestige and status, much like the past Holy Emperor who spread the Dharma, no one would dare to question his decisions.

What others see as a hot potato is, in his hands, just a numbers game that he can modify and adjust at will.

"The Morality Sect, Azure Lotus Sword Sect, Heavenly Star Sect, Five Thunder Sect... Great Sun Holy Sect, Five Phoenix Sword Sect, is this ranking of sects a result of popular consensus, or is it the will of the Holy Monarch of the Dharma?"

Bai Zichen's eyes twitched. The merit list was divided into two lists: one side ranked by sect, and the other side ranked by individual.

Each merit can only be recorded once.

For example, if Yu Ziliang had 100,000 merits, which would be counted under his personal name, he would not be able to be registered in the Daodezong sect again.

However, none of the disciples of the Moral Sect participate in the individual rankings. Unlike other sects, they do not have a dedicated department to calculate how to allocate merit points so that they can rank at the top of both lists and obtain sufficiently precious treasures.

On the sect rankings, the Moral Sect unsurprisingly topped the list.

What surprised Bai Zichen was that the Five Phoenix Sword Sect's ranking was the very last among all the super sects.

Even compared to the previous Great Sun Saint Sect, his merit points were one-third less.

Because the strongest member of the Great Sun Holy Sect, the Nine Yang Master, had died at the hands of the Dragon Lord early on, the sect made no outstanding contributions in this battle, but suffered quite heavy casualties.

However, when it comes to sympathy, the Nascent Soul cultivators of the Five Phoenix Sword Sect also contributed a great deal.

Meng Dongye's physical body was destroyed, leaving only his nascent soul to escape. At this age, he might not even have time to fuse his spirit and body, so there's no way he can regain the normal combat power of a nascent soul cultivator.

The Sword Lord of Withered Glory lost an arm while slaying a ferocious and evil dragon.

Fairy Haitang was inexplicably killed by Fairy Bingpo, her soul lamp was extinguished instantly, and she died and her spirit vanished.

Even the young and promising Han Chaoxuan came to the front line and successfully killed two transformed demons.

Such a performance, which didn't even put him ahead of sects that only produced one or two Nascent Soul cultivators, could only lead him to one conclusion.

That is, as a super sect, the Five Phoenix Sword Sect seems to be the only one that did not use the Nascent Soul stage.

Moreover, according to records, the time when the Nascent Soul sword cultivator of the Five Phoenix Sword Sect attained enlightenment should be similar to that of the Nebula Twin Saints.

As a result, the Nebula Twin Saints descended upon the battlefield, and their desperate attack brought the precarious Heavenly Punishment Peak Master back to a stalemate.

Otherwise, even if the Ice Soul Fairy wanted to find a partner for ascension, she wouldn't care about losing a Nascent Soul cultivator who was completely suppressed.

Ultimately, the most important thing is the creation-based spiritual treasure that can traverse and travel through the chaotic void.

However, the fact that the Heavenly Punishment Peak Master was able to withstand the Heaven-Opening Spiritual Treasure made Bingpo temporarily change his mind. It would be good to have one more person, so that all three of them could ascend at the same time.

Other super sects could find a reason, as the time between the attainment of the Nascent Soul stage and the attainment of enlightenment was indeed quite long.

That Nascent Soul Sword Cultivator from the Killing Sword Sect, for example, happened almost ten thousand years ago. If the standards hadn't been relaxed repeatedly, he would have been stripped of his title long ago.

The same applies to the Thunder God Sect and the Azure Lotus Sword Sect; their Nascent Soul Ancestors last appeared four or five thousand years ago.

Frankly speaking, the probability of him falling from grace much earlier would have been much higher.

The Nascent Soul Ancestor of the Five Phoenix Sword Sect is clearly alive, but he has lost the courage to leave his cave and attack the demon race. This ranking is the response given by the Moral Sect.

Finding a reason to deduct points is much easier than adding them.

Your department failed to deliver the logistical supplies on time, the injured disciple's early return to the Central Region is suspected of faking injury, and there are instances of embezzlement during the resource allocation process...

Such cases could potentially reduce the value of a Nascent Soul Grandmaster to negative.

"This was a joint decision made by the Holy Lord who spreads the Dharma and all the Great True Lords who possess the power of deliberation, and it was passed overwhelmingly."

Yu Ziliang's eyes held a deeper meaning.

"In that case, I will try my best to follow the established rules so that everyone can get what they deserve."

Bai Zichen actually had a good impression of the Five Phoenix Sword Sect in the past. When the conflict occurred on White Python Mountain with Xiang Banshan, he even tried to protect himself.

After successfully surpassing Xiang Banshan, he created even more momentum, and every Nascent Soul cultivator spared no effort in praising and admiring him.

There might be a reason for this, namely the existence of the Withered Glory Sword Lord.

The stronger Bai Zichen's image, the stronger the Ku Rong Sword Lord, who is following the same path as his predecessor, must be. This is also the subtext of the Five Phoenix Sword Sect.

However, the Five Phoenix Sword Sect is currently the common enemy of all sects, and everyone is trying their best to resist it.

He wouldn't kick someone when they're down, but he also couldn't afford to offend the Moral Sect and all the sects that benefited from it for the sake of a sect he didn't have much influence over.

Bai Zichen looked down and was surprised to find that the Taiping Sect was ranked even lower.

The reason for this was that only two people from the Taiping Sect came: Baoxuan Daoren and Pan Shizhen.

As a result, Pan Shizhen's swordsmanship flaws were fully exposed in this high-intensity, high-density environment.

The endless onslaught of demonic beasts caused the sword light to scatter.

Most of the time, it drifted along with the current, failing to inflict fatal damage on any of the transformed demons.

Because of the special nature of the Taiping Mother Talisman, Baoxuan Daoren has always played the role of a tank and support, and will not be the core of the team.

Having suffered a fatal injury and missing the subsequent pursuit to finish off the defeated foe, his battle record was naturally not impressive.

However, even he couldn't stand this ranking.

"The contributions made by Daoist Baoxuan are beyond what can be described in words. Only when they are lost can their value be appreciated... In my opinion, let's move Taiping Sect up three places and rank it after Wulei Sect."

Bai Zichen wanted to both comfort Bao Xuan Daoren and make his presence felt as soon as he took office.

The best time to start is when something is unreasonable and not too difficult.

Only by succeeding in doing so can he demonstrate his authority and authority, rather than being seen as a mouthpiece for the Daoist sect.

"The ranking of the Taiping Sect is determined after comprehensive evaluation based on the coefficients of all the Great True Lords... Such a large fluctuation by a True Lord might lead to serious misunderstandings and hinder the work."

Yu Ziliang offered careful guidance, sizing up his words.

The real trigger for the incident was the potential worsening of Baoxuan Daoist's injuries, which could lead to his death.

After all, according to rumors circulating from all sides, even the nascent soul of Daoist Baoxuan cannot leave his body, and he cannot even perform the worst form of possession.

There have been cases where someone's luck was so bad that their nascent soul disintegrated and merged into their flesh and blood.

(End of this chapter)