Chapter 12: Accumulating Merit Lottery
"Colored Merit Fish, a ten-billion grand prize."
Since the relevant news had already spread like wildfire and everyone was discussing it, Lu Yang didn't have to exert much effort to figure out the whole story.
It turned out that within the Primordial Sect, there was a standing special mission called 'Accumulating Merit'.
The location was deep within the sea of clouds, beneath Holy Fire Cliff, a treasure land called the Merit Pool. In the pool was a rare Spirit Beast known as the Merit Fish.
The fish came in five colors: white, blue, purple, gold, and colored.
The closer to being colored, the more abundant the Merit Fish's essence and Qi would be. After consumption, it could not only improve the quality of True Qi but also help Breakthrough Bottlenecks.
The so-called 'Accumulating Merit' mission was born from this.
This mission could be claimed once per person per month. One would first blindly select a number, then pay 10 contribution points to take out the Karma Fish corresponding to that number.
However, the 10 contribution points paid by the Cultivator would not be reclaimed by the Primordial Sect; instead, they were recorded on the Merit Pool's account. A high-ranking official of the Primordial Sect had specifically explained this: as long as someone could select the only Colored Merit Fish in the Merit Pool, they would receive all the contribution points within the Merit Pool!
Nearly a hundred years had passed since this mission was first issued.
But in a hundred years, no one had ever selected the Colored Merit Fish. As a result, the contribution points in the pool accumulated more and more, already becoming an astronomical figure.
"Ten billion! Ten billion!"
On the rocking chair, the old man was still muttering in a low voice, his tone filled with envy, jealousy, and hatred.
Just yesterday, the super grand prize of this Accumulating Merit Lottery finally had a winner, and the Disciple who received it had been an inner Disciple for less than ten days.
A hundred-year prize pool was won by a newcomer who had been in the sect for less than ten days!
It was no wonder the Hidden Scripture Pavilion old man felt psychologically imbalanced; after all, that ten-billion prize also included his share from participating in the Merit Pool mission over the years.
Not to mention that Xiao Shiye, upon receiving the ten-billion grand prize from the Merit Pool, also obtained the most precious Colored Merit Fish. After consuming it, he Breakthrough from Qi Refining First Layer to Qi Refining Perfection overnight and has now been taken as a Disciple by an Immortal Master in the sect, entering seclusion to prepare for Foundation Establishment.
Such a situation made even Lu Yang couldn't help but show a look of envy.
However, his gaze quickly changed because that lucky person, Xiao Shiye, did not hide the number he chose when he drew the Colored Merit Fish.
"2025113"
Looking at this number, Lu Yang couldn't help but swallow.
Just as Lu Yang firmly memorized this string of numbers, preparing to use them in his next life, a graceful figure suddenly walked into the Hidden Scripture Pavilion.
"Junior Brother Lu?"
Lu Yang looked up in response and immediately recognized the person; it was none other than Immortal Qingchen. She seemed quite surprised as well, her pretty face showing a hint of pleasant surprise at the unexpected encounter.
"Oh, it's Immortal Qingchen. Is it time?"
The Hidden Scripture Pavilion old man also saw Immortal Qingchen, his previously bored expression instantly turning serious. He stood up and said, "Then let's set off quickly."
"Senior Brother, are you also going to explore the Immortal Cave?" Lu Yang asked curiously.
"Otherwise?" The Hidden Scripture Pavilion old man said irritably, "I just lost a large sum of money. If I don't find some extra work, I'll be drinking the northwest wind!"
"Lost a large sum of money?"
"Alas, it was my carelessness." The Hidden Scripture Pavilion old man sighed, "Some time ago, the Primordial Sect and the Jade Pivot Sword Pavilion in South River had a major battle."
"The Jade Pivot Sword Pavilion came prepared and forcibly seized a Ten Thousand Corpse Pit belonging to the Primordial Sect in the south."
"The 'substitute yin puppet' produced in that Ten Thousand Corpse Pit is a very precious rare treasure. With the Ten Thousand Corpse Pit taken, its price within the Primordial Sect immediately soared."
"At first, everyone was hoarding goods. Out of caution, I observed for a while."
"Later, I found that the price indeed only rose and did not fall, and I felt that the opportunity was fleeting, so I made a move and hoarded a batch of goods at a high price from others."
At this point, the Hidden Scripture Pavilion old man was truly heartbroken, slapping his thigh in regret: "Who would have thought, no sooner had I finished hoarding than news came that the Primordial Sect had launched a counterattack and the Ten Thousand Corpse Pit had been recaptured. As a result, the price that had just risen instantly plummeted, even lower than the original price!"
Lu Yang: "..."
"But thankfully there's Immortal Qingchen." The Hidden Scripture Pavilion old man sighed for a while, then quickly cheered up again, exclaiming, "Immortal Qingchen is a good person!"
Immortal Qingchen smiled shyly, "Senior Brother, you flatter me."
"Those are words from my heart." The Hidden Scripture Pavilion old man said sincerely, "If it weren't for you recommending Senior Brother Zhao to me, I'm afraid I wouldn't even get my principal back."
"It was just a small favor." Immortal Qingchen said humbly, "Senior Brother Zhao just happened to be short of a batch of substitute yin puppets, and Senior Brother, you happened to have a batch of goods hoarded. Immortal Qingchen just happened to be in the right place at the right time. I only hope that when we explore the Immortal Cave later, if Immortal Qingchen sees something she likes, Senior Brother can assist Immortal Qingchen a little."
Senior Brother Zhao... Zhao Xuhe? Lu Yang's heart stirred slightly.
"Oh, right, Junior Brother Lu."
Only then did Immortal Qingchen seem to remember Lu Yang, turning her head to look over: "This time exploring the Immortal Cave, Junior Brother really doesn't plan to come along?"
"...You make Senior Sister laugh."
Lu Yang shook his head and said, "Junior Brother has just entered the sect not long ago, his power is small and weak, and he only wants to focus on cultivation. Exploring Immortal Caves is too dangerous, and he truly has the will but not the strength."
"Boy, I don't like what you just said."
The Hidden Scripture Pavilion old man shook his head: "Focus on cultivation? Ordinary Disciples like us, without money or power, who only know how to cultivate in seclusion, won't have an Immortal Path."
"Cultivating Immortality is inherently Heaven-Defying. If you don't take risks, how can your cultivation advance by leaps and bounds?"
"When everyone else is afraid and wants to retreat, you should be even braver to try and strive, only then can you seize the opportunity!"
When others are fearful, you are greedy. No wonder you went bankrupt.
No matter how eloquently the Hidden Scripture Pavilion old man spoke, Lu Yang politely refused, making the old man angrily throw out a phrase "rotten wood cannot be carved" and turn to leave.
Seeing this, Immortal Qingchen also found it difficult to say more. She just gave Lu Yang a deep look, then turned and left, arriving with the Hidden Scripture Pavilion old man at a hidden Immortal Cave on Mending Heaven Peak. She then asked the Hidden Scripture Pavilion old man to wait in the outer courtyard before entering the inner courtyard and arriving in front of a quiet room.
After a moment, the quiet room's door opened, and Zhao Xuhe walked out.
"Failed again? He still didn't agree?"
Zhao Xuhe listened to Immortal Qingchen's narration, his brows gradually furrowing: "He truly has a firm Dao Heart. Well, it doesn't matter much if he's not there."
"Senior Brother, I think this person has a problem."
Immortal Qingchen bit her silver teeth lightly: "The life lamps of my three paramours went out. Last night, I sent them to kill that guy. It seems they failed."
"Senior Brother, you know, my three paramours are all at Qi Refining Third Layer. Lu Yang being able to kill them... could he already be at the Middle Stage of cultivation?"
"Impossible! Absolutely impossible!"
Zhao Xuhe shook his head without hesitation: "Breaking through a Bottleneck is extremely difficult. In just a few days, at most, he could Breakthrough to Qi Refining Third Layer; it's impossible for him to Breakthrough to the Middle Stage."
"You don't need to be so suspicious. I've checked his purchase records."
"He bought so many Origin Qi great pills. If he consumed them regardless of the cost, reaching Qi Refining Third Layer is not surprising. As for your three paramours..."
"He used Cultivation Technique loans to buy a Divine Ability, which is the Jade Pivot Sword Pavilion's Divine Firmament Sword Control True Art." Zhao Xuhe meticulously analyzed, "If he is exceptionally gifted and has Comprehension Ability in the Dao of the sword, able to quickly master the sword art, then killing your three paramours isn't that strange."
"What Senior Brother said is right."
Immortal Qingchen pondered for a moment and felt that Zhao Xuhe's analysis was more reasonable. After all, she had personally experienced how difficult the Middle Stage Bottleneck was back then.
It took her nearly ten years to barely Breakthrough.
Now, to say that a Disciple who just entered the sect Breakthrough in less than a month, unless he was an Immortal Master in Reincarnation cultivating again, otherwise it was simply a fantasy.
"Alright, let's discuss this later."
Zhao Xuhe waved his hand, his eyes gleaming with cold light: "First, let's handle the matter of the 'Immortal Cave.' Have all the people been gathered?"
"All gathered." Immortal Qingchen nodded and said, "Especially Wang Borong from the Hidden Scripture Pavilion. Senior Brother bought his substitute yin puppet, and he trusts us very much now."
"That's good."
Zhao Xuhe smiled coldly: "My Primordial Sect has always produced talented individuals. Whether we can seize this opportunity to make a fortune this time depends entirely on my Senior Brothers and Junior Brothers."