Primordial Era: I am a treasure trove, full of magical treasures.

The chaotic-colored bead that Xuanbao threw drew a beautiful arc in the air and hurtled towards the cunning demon god.

The cunning demon god stared intently, his expression changing drastically: "What is this? A Chaos Spiritual Treasure?!"

wrong!

The Demon God of Schemes had lived for countless ages and seen countless treasures. He keenly sensed that the bead was covered with dense cracks, and from these cracks emanated an extremely unstable and dangerous aura—it wasn't the aura of a chaotic spiritual treasure, but rather…

"A supreme innate treasure?!"

Before he could finish speaking, the bead had already flown to his front, and then—

"boom--!!!"

A deafening explosion!

The power of that explosion far exceeded the imagination of the cunning demon god! A mushroom cloud rose slowly from the chaos, instantly evaporating the chaotic air currents within a radius of hundreds of millions of miles. A huge hole with a diameter of millions of miles was blasted into the void, and fragments of laws flew like snowflakes at the edge of the hole!

The Demon God of Deception was blasted backward, his dark gold robe torn to shreds, his hair disheveled, and a trickle of golden blood spilling from the corner of his mouth. Although he had managed to set up a defensive barrier in time, the self-destruction power of that innate treasure was simply too terrifying. Even for a Chaos Demon God at the mid-stage of the eighth heaven, the blast caused his blood and qi to surge, and his internal organs seemed to have shifted.

"This...this is a self-destructing magical artifact?!" The cunning demon god steadied himself, wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth, his eyes filled with disbelief. "You actually used a supreme innate treasure as a bomb?!"

Xuanbao stood at a distance, watching the cunning demon god who was blasted to a dusty, grime-covered state, and grinned: "How was it? Was my 'fireworks' pretty?"

The cunning demon trembled with rage: "You...you're utterly inhuman!"

Xuanbao shrugged. "I don't have any other good qualities, but I'm willing to give. As the saying goes, you have to give to receive. It's just a supreme innate treasure. If it explodes, it explodes. As long as it kills you, it's worth it."

The Demon God of Schemes: "..."

He suddenly realized that he might have chosen the wrong target for this ambush.

This isn't prey; it's clearly a suicide truck!

Taking advantage of this opportunity, the Three Pure Ones joined forces to use the technique of spatial teleportation to send the four of them, along with Xuanbao, to a place hundreds of millions of miles away.

"Retreat!" Xuanbao shouted, and the roots of the World Tree stretched out again, entangling Sanqing and Bailu and pulling them into the World Tree space. Then, he unleashed hundreds of spiritual treasures that could accelerate his escape technique, transforming into a streak of emerald light and speeding away in other directions of the chaos!

Seeing this, the cunning demon roared, "Trying to run? Not so easy!"

He blurred into a streak of dark golden lightning, giving chase relentlessly. However, the World Tree was incredibly fast, especially after absorbing a portion of the Great Thousand World's origin, its speed increasing dramatically. Furthermore, Xuanbao would occasionally throw out a self-destructing innate spiritual treasure, creating chaos, making it impossible for the Demon God of Deception to catch up for the time being!

"Damn it!" The cunning demon gritted his teeth, his eyes filled with resentment. He had been lurking in the Yuanhui for hundreds of thousands of years, finally waiting for a big fish to take the bait, but not only did he fail to catch it, he was also injured by the other party. How could he swallow this insult?

But he also knew that continuing to pursue him would probably not bring any benefit. Perhaps that kid still had some trump cards up his sleeve, and if he were to self-destruct a few more times, even he, as a mid-stage eighth-level cultivator, wouldn't be able to withstand such torment.

"You brat, you just wait!" The Demon God of Schemes stopped in his tracks and roared in the direction where Xuanbao had disappeared. "Next time we meet, I'll make you wish you were dead!"

In the distance, Xuanbao's voice drifted over: "Next time we meet? That depends on whether you can catch up with me. Bye-bye!"

Enraged, the cunning demon god slammed his fist into the void, shattering the chaotic air currents within a million miles.

Inside the World Tree space, Xuanbao plopped down on the ground, panting heavily.

"Damn, I almost crashed." He wiped the cold sweat from his forehead. "That old monster from the eighth level is indeed not to be trifled with."

The Tongtian Sect Leader also breathed a sigh of relief, sat down to the side, and patted his chest: "You brat, you've got some nerve! That's a Chaos Demon God from the Eighth Heaven, and you actually dared to stab him!"

"If we don't stab him in the back, we might end up in a mess, right?" Xuanbao chuckled. "Besides, I'm fine, aren't I?"

Laozi slowly opened his eyes, looked at Xuanbao, and a hint of approval flashed in his eyes: "You did a good job. Although it was risky, the effect was very good. After this battle, the cunning demon god will not dare to make any rash moves for a while."

The Primordial Celestial Venerable nodded: "Indeed. Your shot, coupled with the self-destruction of that innate treasure, is enough to make him wary. Moreover, part of the origin of his Great Thousand World was damaged because of your self-destruction, and it will be difficult to recover in a short time."

Xuanbao chuckled, then looked at the World Tree. Only six points of light remained on the World Tree's trunk.

"What a pity, we couldn't swallow that world whole, and we even lost three Great Thousand Worlds," Xuanbao clicked his tongue regretfully. "If we could have swallowed that world completely, the World Tree might have been able to break through to the Chaos Spiritual Root directly."

"Be content," the Tongtian Sect Leader rolled his eyes. "It's already a miracle that you escaped alive from the Eighth Heaven Demon God. You expect to eat and take as much as you want? Aren't you afraid of stuffing yourself to death?"

Xuanbao smiled and didn't refute. He knew Tongtian was right. He was already extremely lucky to have escaped unscathed this time. If he hadn't prepared those ten specially made innate treasures beforehand, he probably would have really been defeated there today.

"However..." Xuanbao stroked his chin, a thoughtful look flashing in his eyes, "This experience has given me an idea."

"What inspiration?" Bai Lu asked.

"What do you think would happen if I used a clone to take a magical treasure and go inside their stomachs?" Xuanbao's eyes flashed with a dangerous light. "Anyway, I have plenty of innate magical treasures, so I won't mind destroying one or two. As long as I can weaken their strength, it's worth it even if I destroy them all."

Sanqing: "..."

Bai Lu: "..."

"Are you crazy?" The Tongtian Sect Leader's eyes widened. "Those are innate treasures! Not just roadside stones! You're already being extravagant by blowing up one, and you want to blow them all up?"

"You can't catch a wolf without risking your cub," Xuanbao chuckled. "Besides, you can refine another innate treasure, but if you lose your life, you lose everything."

Lao Tzu remained silent for a moment before slowly speaking: "This method... is feasible. However, it must be used with caution. Although the power of a self-destructing innate treasure is great, its effectiveness will be greatly reduced if the opponent is prepared."

"Don't worry, Master, I know what I'm doing." Xuanbao nodded, then stood up, clapped his hands, and said, "Let's go back to the Primordial World first."

A century later, Xuanbao and his companions returned to the primordial world.

The moment they stepped through the barrier of the primordial world, Xuanbao sensed something was wrong.

The concentration of spiritual energy in the primordial wilderness had increased significantly since they left! Dense spiritual mist filled the sky, the vegetation on the ground glowed with a shimmering light, and even the fluctuations of laws in the air had become much clearer.

"What happened?" Xuanbao frowned. "How could things have changed so much in just a few hundred years?"

He scanned the area with his divine sense and immediately gasped.

In the primordial world, the number of Quasi-Saints has increased by over a hundred! Moreover, several of them have already reached the peak of Quasi-Saint status!

"Holy crap?" Xuanbao's eyes widened. "What kind of drugs did these people take? How did they break through so quickly?"

Tongtian was also shocked: "This...this is too fast!"

Lao Tzu slowly closed his eyes, sensed for a moment, then opened them, a look of understanding flashing in his eyes: "It's those quasi-saints who hunted the small worlds. After they infused the essence of the captured small worlds into the primordial world, the Heavenly Dao bestowed a great deal of merit. That merit not only helped them break through their bottlenecks, but also greatly increased their compatibility with the Heavenly Dao."

"I see." Xuanbao nodded thoughtfully. "No wonder he broke through so quickly."

He paused, then grinned: "It seems our plan is going even more smoothly than expected."

Upon returning to the Heavenly Court, Xuanbao immediately summoned Haotian, his chief steward.

Upon seeing Xuanbao, Haotian was so excited that tears welled up in his eyes: "Your Majesty! You've finally returned!"

"What's wrong?" Xuanbao raised an eyebrow. "What happened?"

"Your Majesty, you don't know, but in the decades you've been gone, the primordial world has undergone earth-shattering changes!" Haotian said excitedly. "Following your instructions, we formed hundreds of hunting teams, ventured deep into the chaos, and captured thousands of minor worlds and hundreds of middle worlds! The spiritual energy concentration in the primordial world has doubled! The Heavenly Dao has also bestowed a great deal of merit!"

Xuanbao nodded in satisfaction: "Well done. However, that's not enough."

……

In the blink of an eye, Xuanbao sat upright on the nine-dragon throne in the Lingxiao Palace, his fingers lightly tapping the armrests, his gaze sweeping over the assembled officials below.

Haotian stood at the very front, followed by various celestial officials and generals, as well as quasi-saints who had just returned from chaos—Cangwu Daoist, Xuanjizi, and others were prominently featured. Excitement and anticipation radiated from everyone's faces; clearly, the "world hunt" of the past few centuries had brought them considerable benefits.

"Everyone," Xuanbao began, his voice not loud, but clearly reaching everyone's ears, "you have all worked hard over the past few hundred years. The concentration of spiritual energy in the primordial world has doubled, and the number of quasi-saints has surged. This is all thanks to you."

Everyone bowed and said, "Your Majesty is too kind; this is simply our duty!"

Xuanbao waved his hand, signaling everyone to be quiet, and then continued, "But, that's not enough."

He raised his hand and waved it, and a huge chaotic star map unfolded in the Lingxiao Palace. On the star map, countless points of light, some large and some small, twinkled and were densely distributed in the endless chaos.

"What you hunt are all minor and medium-sized worlds. Although these worlds are numerous, their origins are limited, a drop in the ocean." Xuanbao pointed to the brighter spots on the star map. "What can truly bring about a qualitative change in the primordial world are these—the great worlds."

Daoist Cangwu stepped forward, cupped his hands, and said, "Your Majesty, every world in the Great Thousand Worlds is guarded by Chaos Demons. If we Quasi-Saints go there, it will be tantamount to sending ourselves to our deaths."

"I know." Xuanbao nodded. "Therefore, I plan to establish a completely new mechanism—"

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the crowd, and said, word by word:

"Intelligence bounty system".

The group looked at each other, puzzled.

Xuanbao explained, "From today onwards, all hunting teams venturing into the Chaos will have an even more important mission besides capturing small worlds—to scout the location of the Great Thousand Worlds, assess their defensive strength, and ascertain the true nature of the Chaos Demon God."

"Anyone who can provide the precise coordinates of a vast world, along with basic information about its defensive forces, can receive a Primordial Spiritual Treasure as a reward!"

These words caused an uproar throughout the entire Lingxiao Palace!

A Primordial Spiritual Treasure! That's a treasure even Quasi-Saints dream of! And now a Mystic Treasure is being offered as a reward for information!

"Not only that," Xuanbao continued, "if the intelligence is accurate, and we ultimately succeed in conquering that Great Thousand World, the person who provided the intelligence will also receive a 10% share of the merit gained from refining the world's essence!"

One part of the success is awarded based on merit!

These words even unsettled veteran Quasi-Saints like Daoist Cangwu. They had personally witnessed the meteoric rise in cultivation of those Quasi-Saints who hunted small worlds after gaining Heavenly Dao Merit. If they could obtain even a tenth of the merit of a Great Thousand World, wouldn't they be able to take off instantly?

"Is Your Majesty truly telling the truth?" The Taoist Cangwu's voice trembled slightly.

"A king's word is law." Xuanbao smiled slightly, raised his hand and waved, and hundreds of dazzling innate spiritual treasures appeared in the sky above the hall—there were swords, bells, cauldrons, towers, banners... Each one exuded powerful law fluctuations, and the lowest grade was a mid-grade innate spiritual treasure, with some even reaching the top grade!

"These are the first batch of bounty rewards," Xuanbao said, pointing to the spiritual treasures. "Whoever provides useful information will be paid out immediately, without delay!"

Everyone's eyes widened in disbelief.

Xuanjizi was the first to step forward, cupping his hands in a gesture of respect and saying, "Your Majesty, I am willing to personally lead the team deep into the Chaos to search for the Great Thousand Worlds in the Great Primordial Wilderness!"

"I'm willing to go too!"

"I'm willing to go too!"

In an instant, cries of petitioning rose and fell in the Lingxiao Palace, and the crowd was filled with fervor.

Seeing that the plan was feasible, Xuanbao smiled knowingly and decided to unleash his ultimate weapon to make the situation even more explosive.

"cough!"

Xuanbao waved his hand, then said seriously, "Alright, the important matters are over. I have one more thing to announce—"

He stood up, his gaze sweeping across the room, his tone becoming serious:

"From this day forward, the Heavenly Court will establish the 'Hall of Merit' to record your contributions to the Primordial World. Whether it's capturing small worlds, providing intelligence, or participating in the conquest of the Great Thousand Worlds, everything will be recorded and converted into merit points. Those who reach a certain level of merit points will be able to obtain corresponding cultivation resources, cultivation technique inheritances, and even—"

Xuanbao paused, then said, word by word:

"A candidate for sainthood."

These four words, like a thunderclap, exploded in the Lingxiao Palace!

A candidate for sainthood!

That's something every Quasi-Saint dreams of! Although Xuanbao mentioned being a candidate rather than being directly granted a Sainthood, it was enough to drive everyone crazy—because it meant that the Sainthood was no longer a luxury monopolized by the Three Pure Ones, Nuwa, and others, but something that could be earned through hard work!

"The Heavenly Emperor is wise and benevolent!"

Cheers rose and fell, shaking the entire Lingxiao Palace slightly.

Xuanbao smiled as he accepted the crowd's worship.

My conscience is a little aching, after all, I'm not good at making empty promises, though I used to make them all the time.

After all, as humans, isn't being able to accept empty promises a passive skill?