Primordial Era: Reborn Kong Xuan, Steady Cultivation

"it works!"

Noticing that the frantic howls of the souls at the forefront, shrouded in the Daoist sound, were gradually weakening, and that a hint of bewilderment and a moment of peace appeared on their distorted faces, and that the resentful and bloody light surrounding them seemed to have faded slightly, Kong Xuan's heart trembled, and a subtle excitement surged up.

These scriptures of salvation from later generations actually had an effect in this extremely dangerous and desolate place!

With his confidence growing stronger, the true meaning of the scriptures he chanted became more and more solid, and his voice gradually changed from the initial gentle and low tone to a grand and solemn one, like the sound of a great bell or the chanting of the heavens, carrying a vast rhythm that cleansed the soul and soothed the sorrow, spreading in all directions!

The terrifying Daoist chants began to truly overwhelm the instinctive roars of countless departed souls, echoing across this crimson sea.

Strange phenomena then appeared!

The blood sea, which was originally shrouded in endless bloodlust and resentment and was dark and gloomy, suddenly had wisps of auspicious clouds gathering. In the clouds, the faint images of golden lamps and necklaces floated, and there were also clear and ethereal celestial music and Taoist sounds.

This was not due to Kong Xuan's magical power, but rather an auspicious sign sent down by Heaven in response to his purification efforts and the dissipation of karmic resentment.

Immediately afterwards, a pure and warm golden beam of light pierced through the layers of blood and evil from the depths of the auspicious clouds, ignoring spatial distance, and landed precisely on Kong Xuan's head, merging into his primordial spirit and physical body without any hindrance!

"Heavenly merit!" Kong Xuan was shaken to his core. He felt an indescribable warmth, peace, and profoundness flowing through his body. His primordial spirit became clear, and his foundation in the Dao became more solid. Even his mysterious fortune seemed to become more substantial and brighter.

This feeling, though subtle, is absolutely real!

Feeling the tangible merit bestowed upon him, Kong Xuan was greatly encouraged, and his chanting became even louder, more devout, and more energetic!

Each syllable seems to contain his understanding of the Great Dao and his aspiration for liberation.

He knew that this merit was of paramount importance.

He needs it to deduce subsequent cultivation methods, to increase his own fortune and luck, and to offset some of the backlash when he uses the Treasure Dropping Coins cautiously in the future. It is an indispensable "resource" for his ascent on the path of cultivation!

At the same time, he was exceptionally clear-headed, fully aware of the preciousness and... uniqueness of the opportunity before him!

"Purifying the souls of the dead in the Blood Sea and dissolving their karma is equivalent to indirectly weakening the Blood Sea's origin, or at least affecting the environment of its peripheral areas."

Once the Styx Ancestor returns from Zixiao Palace and notices something amiss in the Blood Sea, with its source slightly damaged, given his temperament and control over the Blood Sea, he will surely be furious, take strict precautions, and may even set up even more terrifying restrictions.

Next time, there will be no chance of so easily approaching and guiding the departed souls.

As Kong Xuan's mind raced, he had already come up with many ideas.

"Therefore, we must do our utmost this time, purifying as much as we can and accumulating as much merit as we can!"

This is the only golden opportunity to 'steal' merit while the owner is away!

As for whether he would be deduced by the Styx Ancestor to be the one who did it, Kong Xuan was not too worried.

Purifying the sea of ​​blood and dissolving karma is an act in accordance with the Way of Heaven. It is protected and concealed by the energy of the Way of Heaven, and will not disrupt the calculations of Heaven.

Moreover, he possesses a fragment of the Jade Disc of Creation. Although this treasure is incomplete, its essence is extremely high. It has the ability to obscure cause and effect and confuse the secrets of heaven. With this double protection, unless a sage personally expends effort to calculate, it will be extremely difficult for the Styx Ancestor to accurately locate him.

Having grasped this point, Kong Xuan had no more worries and was completely immersed in the profound state of invoking the Daoist sound and receiving merit.

Five-colored divine light protected my body, the Daoist sound purified me, and golden light of merit flowed down like a gentle stream.

In this way, Kong Xuan was immersed in the profound state of chanting scriptures to convert and guide others to enlightenment, and quietly spent two thousand years on the edge of the Blood Sea, a place where crimson and wailing intertwined.

On this day, he keenly perceived in his meditative state that the golden light of merit that descended from the Heavenly Dao and merged into his body was no longer as surging and intense as it had been in the first few hundred years.

Although it continues to grow, like a trickle flowing into a deep pool, the growth rate has slowed significantly.

Roughly estimated, the merit gained in the past two years may only be equivalent to the amount gained in the first year.

"Have you reached your current limit in accumulating merit?"

Kong Xuan understood perfectly well; he was not disappointed, but rather felt a sense of natural understanding.

He clearly sensed that the total amount of Heavenly Merit he had accumulated had reached an extremely terrifying level!

He was confident that, looking across the entire primordial world, among beings at the Golden Immortal level, those who possessed such a vast amount of merit were probably few and far between, perhaps even... extremely rare.

This immense merit not only settled within his primordial spirit but also subtly blessed his fortune, making him feel deeply fortunate and giving him an inexplicable sense of smoothness in his actions.

More importantly, the continuous practice and experience of accumulating merit over the past two thousand years has given him a profound and transformative understanding of the path of "merit."

Merit is not simply a "reward". It is more like an essential feedback and blessing from the Heavenly Dao to the "good deeds" that maintain, repair and promote the orderly operation of the primordial world. It is mysterious and related to fortune, blessings and even the stability of one's Dao foundation.

However, the deeper one's understanding, the greater one's awe.

"I have been tirelessly converting people for two thousand years on the edge of this sea of ​​blood, and the merit I have gained is immense... However, I am still far from the edge of the legendary 'Golden Wheel of Merit' manifesting, and I have not even seen a trace of its condensation." Kong Xuan was secretly shocked.

The Golden Wheel of Merit is the supreme realm that materializes and manifests immeasurable merit into protective supernatural powers and even symbols of the Dao fruit. It can only be achieved through great merit and great fortune.

Compared to this, my efforts over the past two thousand years are probably not even a drop in the ocean.

By extension, he gained a more direct and even more astonishing understanding of the future "meritorious achievements" of the Western Bodhisattvas, Amitabha and Cundi.

"What kind of boundless, earth-shattering merit, enough to shake the very foundations of the primordial world, would be needed to support the Dao fruition of a 'Sage of Merit'?"

He recalled the legends of later generations, that even the ancestral witch Houtu, who transformed herself into a being, established the six realms, and whose merits were unparalleled throughout history, could not achieve a complete sainthood through this, but only possessed authority comparable to that of a saint within the cycle of reincarnation.

Therefore, the "amount" required to achieve sainthood through merit alone is probably many times greater than the total merit that can be obtained by purifying the entire sea of ​​blood!

That is an astronomical figure that is almost impossible for an individual to accomplish, and must involve a deeper level of grand aspirations, the cause and effect of heaven and earth, and the opportunities of countless eons.

"The road ahead is long and arduous."

Kong Xuan sighed, but he was not discouraged; he only felt awe and a desire to explore the boundless Dao.

He knew that if he stayed here, the efficiency of accumulating merit would decrease, while the risks would not decrease.

It's time to call it a day.

He slowly stopped chanting the scriptures, and the radiant Taoist sounds around him gradually subsided.

The number of the dead souls surrounding the five-colored light shield has become significantly thinner after two thousand years, and most of the remaining ones are now dazed and listless, with their ferocity greatly reduced.

Just as Kong Xuan stopped chanting the sutra and prepared to retire after achieving his goal, a very faint tremor came from the depths of his mind without any warning!

It was as if something deep within the sea of ​​blood, subtly resonating with his very essence, was emanating an indescribable attraction.