Chapter 359

Words : 2455 Updated : Oct 9th, 2025

Chapter 359"So that's how it is. This Light of Merit was bestowed by Heaven and Earth in recognition of my slaying of that demon general from beyond, and for rescuing tens of thousands of citizens in the prefecture city?" In the space within his brow acupoint, Lu Qing realized the origin of this Light of Merit after a careful investigation. It turned out that it was because he had vanquished the demon cultivator, thereby averting the calamity of a blood sacrifice that would have befallen the citizens of the entire prefecture city. So, Heaven and Earth, sensing his deed, descended with merit as a reward. "But how should I utilize this Light of Merit?" Looking at the Light of Merit before him, Lu Qing was somewhat perplexed. This time, the merit he obtained was even more intense than what his master had accumulated. Yet he had no knowledge of how to wield this Light of Merit. Neither the Li Huo Sect nor the Divine Rune Sect had any secret techniques or teachings related to the Light of Merit. After a moment of contemplation, Lu Qing withdrew his mind from the brow acupoint. "Senior Yan, do you know how to use the Light of Merit?" "Was that golden light just now the Light of Merit?" Yan was initially startled but quickly grasped the situation. "Ah, that makes sense. You've just saved the lives of the entire prefecture city, so Heaven and Earth would naturally respond by granting you merit." "From what you’re saying, it seems this heavenly bestowal of merit isn't a rare occurrence?" Lu Qing asked. "It's not exactly commonplace, but during the ancient era of immortal cultivation, it wasn't entirely unusual for Heaven to grant merit. "Do you know why the righteous sects in the cultivation world have always emphasized the need to destroy evil and exterminate demons? "A significant reason is that by slaying demons, one is more likely to receive Heaven's favor, which in turn allows one's cultivation path to become smoother. "If one could obtain the Light of Merit, well, that would be extraordinary. "A cultivator protected by the Light of Merit not only encounters fewer obstacles on their path, but even when facing tribulations like the Foundation Establishment or Nascent Soul tribulations, the accompanying lightning strikes would be less severe than for other cultivators." Yan spoke at length, sharing some secrets about the Light of Merit. "So the Light of Merit even has the miraculous effect of lessening tribulation lightning?" Lu Qing was genuinely surprised. "Why else do you think so many righteous cultivators are willing to risk their lives to exterminate demons every day? "Young master, cultivators are often the most ruthless individuals. Especially those ancient relics who've lived for hundreds or even thousands of years—they value their lives above all. "Why would they willingly court disaster for ordinary people? It's not out of compassion, but because there are benefits to be gained, aiding their own cultivation." Lu Qing began to understand. He knew Yan was absolutely right. Cultivators practice to transcend themselves and defy fate, cherishing life to an almost extreme degree. It’s only the allure of heavenly merit that drives them to enthusiastically eradicate demons. "Then, Senior Yan, how should this Light of Merit be utilized?" "I don't know that either." Yan shook his head. "The Light of Merit is an exceedingly profound thing. Even in the ancient immortal cultivation era, those who could perform such great deeds as to receive the Light of Merit were few and far between. "I've only heard that during tribulations, the Light of Merit has its miraculous uses, capable of greatly reducing the force of heavenly tribulations. "This is why, in the ancient era, powerful cultivators nearing tribulation would often choose to descend into the mortal world for a time, doing good and accumulating virtue. "As for any other specific uses, I’m not certain. "In all my time within the Li Huo Sect, I never saw anyone acquire the Light of Merit." Here, Yan couldn't help but marvel once more at Lu Qing's astonishing fortune. The Light of Merit was something revered even by the strongest figures standing at the pinnacle of the ancient cultivation world. Obtaining it wasn’t easy; it seemed as though Heaven had its own criteria. Merely performing good deeds didn’t guarantee its acquisition. Who could have expected that Lu Qing, merely for slaying a demon cultivator who wasn't even at the Foundation Establishment stage, would be granted such a blessing from Heaven? If those ancient cultivators were to find out, they’d be green with envy. "Even you don't know..." Lu Qing shook his head. If even Yan, with all his ancient knowledge, didn't know how to use the Light of Merit, then he would have to let it remain within his brow acupoint for now. In any case, he could sense that the Light of Merit did him no harm. On the contrary, under its radiance, the space within his brow acupoint seemed to grow peaceful. Bathed in the light, his soul force even felt as if it were subtly increasing. Since that was the case, he decided to leave it be for the time being. "Young Master Lu, are you alright?" As Lu Qing pondered, a voice called to him, snapping him back to reality. It was Wei Xinghe, worried that Lu Qing might have been injured in the previous battle, as he had been standing there in a trance. As for the prefecture city’s lord and others, after witnessing Lu Qing's formidable strength, they now held him in the utmost respect. None dared disturb him, even if he were to simply stand there in a daze. "No, I was just lost in thought." Lu Qing smiled and responded. "By the way, Family Head Wei, have you found Zihao yet?" "Ah, yes, Zihao!" Wei Xinghe snapped out of it and hurriedly focused his mind to sense for his son’s presence. However, his expression quickly changed. "Oh no, Zihao is missing!" "What happened, Family Head Wei?" Seeing Wei Xinghe’s alarm, Lu Qing immediately inquired. Previously, when they used the Concealment Talisman to communicate, Wei Xinghe hadn't mentioned anything about Wei Zihao. "Young Master Lu, Zihao was controlled by that demon cultivator through a wicked spell. He seemed like a different person..." Wei Xinghe quickly recounted what happened to Wei Zihao, emphasizing how drastically his personality had changed. "When the formation was still intact, Zihao was in the city, but now I can’t sense his aura at all." Wei Xinghe was visibly anxious. He had a terrible premonition that if Zihao had slipped away, he might never find his son again. "Covered in black runes, with a changed demeanor..." Lu Qing recalled the Qingyun Sword Sect disciples he had subdued earlier. But unlike them, who were now lying on the ground gravely injured and unable to move. "Family Head Wei, don’t worry. Let me check it out." Lu Qing extended his soul force, sensing the situation throughout the city. His soul force was far stronger than Wei Xinghe's, allowing him to cover a much greater range. With his full focus, Lu Qing quickly located a hidden aura in a certain area. Lu Qing smiled slightly. "Family Head Wei, I think I've found him." With Wei Xinghe's relieved gaze upon him, he disappeared. Moments later, everyone felt a strange presence flare up in a city street before being swiftly subdued again. A few breaths later, Lu Qing reappeared with someone in tow, and Wei Xinghe recognized his son, Wei Zihao. Only now, Wei Zihao had his eyes closed, unconscious and in a coma. "Zihao!" "Don't worry, Family Head Wei. I've temporarily sealed Zihao's consciousness. "He was afflicted by the demon cultivator’s curse, causing a loss of reason. It’s quite troublesome. "I’ll need to return and consult with my master to find a way to break it," Lu Qing explained. "That’s a relief," Wei Xinghe said, finally relaxing after hearing Lu Qing's words. "Alright, Family Head Wei. Since the demon cultivator has been slain, the matter here is resolved. However, the curse on Zihao is fueled by extracting his life force in exchange for power. It must be removed as soon as possible, or the longer it lingers, the greater the harm it will cause him. We should head back now." Lu Qing suggested. "In that case, let's depart immediately!" Wei Xinghe exclaimed, his heart once again tightening with concern. He recalled the sight of his son wielding strength far beyond his cultivation level, knowing that such power could not come without a price. The prefecture city's lord and others had been standing aside, waiting for a moment to express their gratitude. They wanted to thank both Wei Xinghe and Lu Qing for saving the city. But before they had a chance, they overheard the two discussing their imminent departure. The city lord hurried forward. "Family Head Wei, honored savior, are you both leaving already? You have saved the entire prefecture, and we haven’t yet had the opportunity to properly thank you! Besides, it’s already late—wouldn’t it be better to depart tomorrow?" Wei Xinghe looked toward Lu Qing. Lu Qing, his expression calm, shook his head slightly at Wei Xinghe. Understanding his intentions, Wei Xinghe responded, "City Lord, as you can see, my unworthy son has been cursed by that demon cultivator, and we must return as soon as possible to find a way to remove it. I’m afraid we cannot stay any longer." "We deeply appreciate your kind intentions. As cultivators, it is our duty to stand against the cruelty of demon cultivators and protect the innocent. The most important task for you now is to reassure the citizens and restore peace to the city. There's no need to trouble yourselves with us." After exchanging these polite words, Lu Qing placed his hand on Wei Xinghe’s shoulder. With a thought, a gentle breeze surrounded them. In the next instant, a whirlwind rose, lifting both Lu Qing and Wei Xinghe into the air, carrying them out of the city. As they passed over the Qingyun Sword Sect disciples who were still lying injured, a rope shot out from Lu Qing’s hand, gathering the disciples and carrying them along. The city lord and others, who had been about to continue their efforts to persuade them to stay, found themselves speechless, watching in awe as the whirlwind whisked Lu Qing and his group away. It was only after a long while that anyone spoke again. "City Lord, who exactly was that young man?" one person asked. Everyone turned to look at the city lord. After all, no one had more sources of information than the city lord himself. But to their surprise, the city lord simply shook his head. "I do not know. This was the first time I had met him. Before today, I had never even heard of him." Yet, in his heart, the city lord recalled how Wei Xinghe had referred to the young man as "Lu Xiaolangjun," which reminded him of some recent rumors circulating from the capital. "Even you don’t know?" The crowd was taken aback. Some, however, had a gleam in their eyes, already speculating about various possibilities. "No matter who this benefactor is, his power was plain for all to see. He is far beyond our imagination. My advice to everyone is to be careful not to offend him in any way. You don’t want to bring disaster upon yourselves." The city lord cast a glance around, offering a sincere warning. "Rest assured, City Lord. That young master saved our lives. How could we dare offend him?" everyone agreed, but whether they truly understood the gravity of the situation was uncertain. Meanwhile, Lu Qing was oblivious to the conversations happening in the city. After using the power of the talisman to carry Wei Xinghe and the others, he flew for more than ten miles before landing on the ground. "Family Head Wei, with my current cultivation, I can only use the power of talismans for a limited time. From here on, we’ll have to walk." Lu Qing spoke plainly, showing no reservations. In truth, with his current soul force, it wasn’t impossible to continue flying with the talisman’s power. However, doing so would consume a great deal of his energy. Covering one or two hundred miles was manageable, but with the prefecture city being a thousand miles away from Jiuli Village, it would be pointless to push himself so far. "You’ve already done so much, Young Master Lu. And who are these people..." Wei Xinghe asked, showing no hint of dissatisfaction. Instead, he was curious about the few individuals Lu Qing had bound with the rope. Upon closer inspection, Wei Xinghe noticed the black runes on their faces and hands, similar to those on Wei Zihao. "These individuals should be Zihao’s fellow disciples. They, too, were cursed by that demon cultivator’s spell. That’s why I didn’t kill them; I wanted to see if there’s a way to save them as well." Lu Qing explained. To prevent these individuals from struggling, Lu Qing had also sealed their consciousness, leaving them in a comatose state. "Young Master Lu, you truly have a compassionate heart," Wei Xinghe said, sincerely admiring Lu Qing’s kindness. At that moment, Wei Xinghe recognized these individuals. They had once visited the Wei Manor as guests, though the black runes on their faces had initially made it difficult to recognize them. "By the way, Young Master Lu, do you think Zihao’s curse will be easy to lift?" Finally, Wei Xinghe voiced the question that had been weighing on his mind. "Honestly, it’s hard to say." Lu Qing hesitated for a moment before continuing, "That demon cultivator was a mysterious figure, and the spells he wielded were highly arcane. Breaking the curse he personally cast won’t be simple." Wei Xinghe’s heart sank. He had feared as much. From the moment Lu Qing had mentioned the need to return and study the situation with his master, Wei Xinghe had suspected that it would be a difficult problem to solve. After a long silence, Wei Xinghe finally spoke again. "No matter the outcome, this is Zihao’s fate. It’s just a shame that the demon cultivator is already dead; otherwise, we might have been able to force him to reveal the method to undo the curse." This comment sparked something in Lu Qing’s mind. A smile suddenly appeared on his face. "Not necessarily, Family Head Wei. We may still have a chance." Wei Xinghe was stunned... Table of content

Chapter 359

Comments (0)