Chapter 56: Chapter 53: Behind the Brilliance
The surrounding earth began to tremble gently.
Li Hao was stunned, looking around, he noticed that the distant, damaged mountains and the crimson sky seemed to be gradually fading.
Had he cleared it? Was the Mo River Battlefield about to disappear?!
Li Hao stood agape, everything happened too fast for him to react.
As he watched the ground sink and his little thatched hut about to collapse shaking, Li Hao quickly stepped out. Then, with a flicker, he appeared at the stage in the center of the village.
Pulling out the Gold Paper, Li Hao swiftly placed it within the eerie temple.
The temple suddenly burst forth with splendid golden light, unleashing a water-like Barrier that enveloped him.
Standing inside the Barrier, Li Hao watched as the outside village shook violently, like the world ending in destruction, everything tearing and blurring until it all vanished.
He found himself back in that narrow cave.
The old, humble temple had also quieted its golden light, becoming utterly ordinary, with two corroded statues with half-smiles on their faces.
The Gold Paper flew back like a thread, entering the palm of Li Hao’s hand, giving a warm sensation.
Li Hao felt as if there was an extra wisp of Divine Soul-like breath in his body.
As his mind willed it, the golden thread emerged in his palm, transforming back into the Gold Paper.
There were three lines of small characters on the Gold Paper:
Name: Chong Er
Merit Points: 100 (Ranked 99 in the Great Yu Dynasty)
Meritorious Deeds: Cleared Fengshan Mo River.
“So these are Merit Points? Doesn’t seem like anything special.”
Li Hao carefully examined the Gold Paper. He had heard from second master and Feng that the Mo River Battlefield had five levels with huge differences. The one he had just experienced should be of the lowest level, the Remorse Level Mo River Battlefield.
Destroying the Mo River Battlefield would yield Merit Points, and if one were to clear it, causing the Mo River to disappear permanently, then the Merit Points obtained would be hundreds of times more!
That is to say, if he had just killed the black-robed scholar and destroyed the village, he would have only gotten one Merit Point.
Beyond the Remorse Level.
There was also the Shadowy Ghoul Level Mo River.
The Ming Domain Level Mo River.
And the Ghost City Level Mo River that even second master and the rest didn’t dare to enter lightly.
As for the most terrifying Mo River, second master and the others didn’t mention it; it’s a place where being involved means doom even for their level of Saints.
Just the mention of the Ghost City Level Mo River had already put it on the list of forbidden places.
And only Grandmasters of the Tianren Sect dared to enter the Ming Domain Level Mo River.
This Mo River had existed for a long time; although it was not the responsibility of the Li Family to suppress it, they had some related materials. If one destroyed the Shadowy Ghoul Level Mo River, about ten Merit Points could be obtained.
Destroying the Ming Domain Level Mo River would yield about a hundred Merit Points.
But if one cleared the Ming Domain Level Mo River, then one could get ten thousand points!
As for what Merit Points are used for, no one knows at the moment. It is said that even the Divine General Mansion, which has suppressed the Mo River for generations, hasn’t been able to figure out the use of Merit Points.
And there are many rumors about Merit Points. Some say they can be exchanged with the gods after death for a reincarnated body, some say they can accumulate blessings for the afterlife, offsetting the karma of killing, and so forth.
But rumors end with the bigshots.
If both old masters say that no one has found the use of Merit Points, then it must be so.
For now, the only use seems to be similar to a “score” that provides a rough estimate of how many strong beings exist in the Dayu Realm, based on the amount of Merit Points.
Yes, existing ones.
If the person holding Merit Points dies, the Merit Points will disappear as well, and their name will be removed from the list.
Therefore, for many top forces, it’s a way to check if someone is alive or dead.
The two elders must be on the list too. I wonder what their ranking is… With a thought from Li Hao, the Gold Paper seemed to sense his intentions, and the characters changed, expanding into a list.
Merit Ranking.
The first name that caught his eye was: Wang Zhendong.
Merit Points: 9372.
The second person, Wang Tianchong.
Merit Points: 7328.
The third person was also surnamed Wang!
The fourth, the fifth… Li Hao glanced through and noticed, to his astonishment, that six of the top ten bore the Wang surname.
Continuing down, within the top thirty, there were fifteen of the Wang surname!
Li Hao’s expression changed subtly, his surprise laced with a tinge of heaviness in his heart.
Though suppressing the Mo River was the duty of the Wang Family, he couldn’t imagine how many lives of the Wang family members had been sacrificed for this responsibility.
Behind each name on the list, the Merit Points, which looked like mere cold, glittering numbers, represented countless life-and-death struggles and perilous encounters.
There is no difference between this and slaying demons on the border.
You should know that the Li Family defended the country by slaying demons on the border, with six out of nine sons from the last generation dying in battle, a truly extreme tragedy.
Now it seems that the other Divine General Mansions probably did not have it much easier.
After all, he could see so many from the Wang Family on the merit list; who knows how many more there are who had once been on the list but then disappeared?
This aging dynasty still enjoys a prosperous era, with peace within its borders, the common folk are healthy and content, young girls play on flower boats, young lads ride horses in the suburbs for leisure, peddlers carry their wares everywhere to sell, free from worries. Yet how many unnamed brave souls hold high this everyday scene of a thousand households’ lights in the darkness, cradling it silently?!
“This era of prosperity… it did not come easy,” murmured Li Hao to himself.
Deep in his heart, he felt a solemn reverence for the names listed above.
His gaze continued downward, yet he did not see the name of Second Elder; perhaps he used a pseudonym.
But Li Hao did see a nickname mentioned by Elder Feng: Bu Liuxing.
Ranked at number 35, with a conspicuous merit value of 3,201.
Li Hao couldn’t help but pause, almost certain that anyone who has earned such a high merit value and is called by this name has to be the Thief Saint!
“Elder Feng lives a hermit life and still has such a high value of merit…” Li Hao’s eyes became solemn.
Apart from Second Elder, Elder Feng had few friends.
Which means, his merit value was mostly earned through his own battles.
Alone in suppressing the Mo River.
However, Elder Feng has a poor reputation; he is the Thief Saint despised by the powers of the world.
The target of thousands of pointing fingers.
Why then would he bother taking risks to do such deeds?
Perhaps there is an answer, perhaps no answer is needed.
Li Hao fell silent, suddenly feeling that the fishing elder who joked and laughed with him was only familiar in interaction, but not truly understood.
A moment later.
He continued to look further down the list.
Soon, he saw another familiar name, Jian Wudao!
Incredibly, like the Wang Family, he used his real name.
You should know that apart from the Wang Family, most of the names above are pseudonyms.
For example, Thief Saint’s Bu Liuxing, who has the surname Bu?
Sword Saint… Li Hao’s eyes narrowed a bit when he saw his ranking, number 76.
With a merit value of 738.
This means he has at least destroyed seven Ming Domain Level Mo Rivers or cleared seven Regret Level Mo Rivers.
Li Hao had already realized that the merit list does not represent the full extent of one’s strength. For instance, the Thief Saint and the Sword Saint are both of the Four Stands Realm, but their merit values differ by four to five times.
There are also many other masters who most likely did not participate in the suppression of the Mo River.
After all, other than the rewards from the dynasty, dealing with the Mo River brings no other benefits. No one knows what use these ethereal merit values have.
The world thrives on interest.
One does not rise early without a benefit.
This also leads to a severe shortage of manpower at the Mo River Authority, creating a tense situation.
At the same time, it is also why he could rank within the top hundred of the Great Yu Dynasty by merely clearing a single Regret Level Mo River.
Li Hao sighed quietly, putting away the gold paper.
Suddenly, he felt a slight disturbance in his perception, noticing someone approaching.
Li Hao quickly realized what was happening.
Looking again at the divine temple in front of him, it was slowly sinking into the ground as if it was about to disappear.
This temple was connected to the Fengshan Mo River.
Now that the Mo River had disappeared, it was natural that the temple would also vanish.
Wait a minute.
Li Hao was suddenly alarmed, wondering if this Mo River was so simple to deal with, could it be the one that was meant for the test of the new disciples a year from now?
If it disappears now…
What will they test a year from now?
Oh, boy.
Isn’t this equivalent to ripping up the exam papers of these candidates in advance?!
Li Hao was speechless. He only wanted to teach that scholar how to paint, but he never intended to clear the barrier!
Time to slip away.
Li Hao quickly moved, vanishing from the spot in an instant.
As Li Hao fled in a hurry, in various parts of the world, many people were disturbed.
Chapter 57: Chapter 54 The World-Famous
South, Nine Peaks Mountain Range, Sword Hut.
This mountain range is famous throughout the world, and the lifelong dream of many swordsmen is to ascend to the peak and look out over the pinnacle of Ten Thousand Zun Mountain. However, that fantastical sacred place actually has a very simple appearance.
On the grassy mountaintop, in the straw hut as plain and unadorned as a cattle shed, Jian Wudao sat quietly inside. The furnishings in the straw hut were also very simplistic, a desk and a few stacks of books.
The desk was extremely rough, as if it had been hewn with a few chops from a tree stump.
Its only advantage was its evenness, extremely even.
At the moment, incense smoke curled up from a burner on the desk as Jian Wudao, with the appearance of an octogenarian with white hair and beard, yet with a complexion as rosy and youthful as a child’s, sat with his eyes closed in tranquility.
In his hand, he held a scroll of sword techniques, and the side of it bore the name, “Detailed Explanation of Swordsmanship Basics.”
His other hand tapped lightly on his knee, as if he was mulling over something in silent recitation, deep in thought.
“Master.”
Suddenly, a call came from outside the straw hut.
Jian Wudao opened his eyes and saw a young man in a white robe hopping into the Sword Hut, a glint of gold in his palm turning into a floating piece of gold paper.
“Master, there’s a new Grandmaster on the Virtue List!”
He pointed to the last name on the gold paper, “Chong Er, such a strange name. I wonder which sect’s Grandmaster he is, to actually destroy a Ming Domain Level Mo River. This pseudonym doesn’t seem like someone from the Mo River Authority.”
Jian Wudao’s expression remained unchanged, he coldly asked, “What does that have to do with you?”
“Just curious.”
The young man knew his master’s temperament and said cheerfully, “Those old Grandmasters either sit at the helm of their sects, not daring to venture into danger lightly, or they cultivate in low profile, striving for the three Immortals to extend their lives. They wouldn’t do such thankless tasks. It must be some newly promoted Grandmaster. I want to go and exchange some pointers with him.”
“You want to go down the mountain again?”
Jian Wudao’s face was expressionless as he got straight to the point:
“To practice swordsmanship, you must endure loneliness! There are hundreds of millions of swordsmen in the world. How can you expect to stand proud among them with a three-foot sword in your hand without putting in a thousand times more effort than they do? If you could focus more on your sword, you would have already stepped into the Immortals.”
You dare to say it, and I don’t even dare to listen… The young man muttered to himself, as the idea of striving for the Immortals seemed daunting.
He looked down and muttered, “Master, if the disciple could exchange pointers more with other Grandmasters, surely I could make further progress…”
“Hmph, when I stepped into the Grandmaster Realm, I secluded myself to contemplate the sword for three years. When I emerged, I had become one of the three Immortals without the need to exchange pointers with anyone else.”
Jian Wudao snorted coldly, knowing that this third disciple of his had mixed desires. He couldn’t help but think of another disciple, and his gaze softened slightly:
“How is your little apprentice sister faring under your guidance?”
“My little apprentice sister is already half a step into the Divine Travel Realm, her spirit congealed 180 times. Tsk tsk, that’s much stronger than me back then. Master, you really do play favorites!” Although the young man accused his master of bias, he was actually grinning.
Jian Wudao rolled his eyes, “If you could understand the essence of the sword within a year of starting, I’d be willing to go to Gan Tao Palace myself to get you a real person’s Soul Succession.”
“I don’t want Master to have to ask favors for me.”
“Besides, my little apprentice sister has a passion for the sword, she will eventually comprehend the sword spirit. I can’t compare with that.”
The young man said cheerfully, “Speaking of which, my little apprentice sister really should thank Master a lot. Thanks to you taking her out of the Divine General Mansion, otherwise, she would have only succeeded the Li Family’s heroic spirit. Congealing the spirit eighty times is not bad, but that’s just the standard of us. To reach the current level that is comparable to the imperial family’s top-tier level would be difficult.”
“Plus, I heard that the Divine General Mansion’s Soul Succession has many restrictions…”
“Shut up!” Jian Wudao scolded.
The young man was slightly startled and promptly shut his mouth.
“The Li Family, after all, holds the Frontier Pass, slaying countless demons, how can you allow yourself to speak ill of them behind their backs?” Jian Wudao rebuked in a cold voice.
The young man knew he had spoken out of turn and scratched his head, “I was wrong, I do respect the Li Family greatly.”
“Humph, if you can’t perfect that ‘Moon Sleepless’ within three months, be ready to stay at the Sword Cliff instead.”
Jian Wudao spoke coldly, “As for that Mo River Household Register, you should look at it less. The matters of the Mo River are none of your concern. That’s the business of the Divine General Mansion. When you reach the three Immortals, I will naturally let you leave the mountain. Otherwise, with your current standard, if you were to start your own sect and someone challenged you, you would be the one losing my face!”
The young man left in a disheartened manner, not daring to linger.
“There’s a newcomer on the Virtue List?”
In a certain sect, as someone happened to be looking through the Virtue List, they immediately noticed the new name added to it.
“A full hundred contributions, is this by directly destroying a Ming Domain Level Mo River? Which Grandmaster has come out of seclusion?”
“Chong Er, a strange name. Go and check which sect’s Grandmaster it is quickly, see if we can bring him over.”
In a tall building within a certain city, someone ordered.
Yongzhou, in a courtyard of the Divine General Mansion.
“Miss, there’s suddenly a new name on the Virtue List, called Chong Er. Such a strange name.”
“Don’t talk nonsense, anyone willing to take action to solve the Mo River disaster is a righteous and brave person.”
“Xiaotao understands, but the name really does sound a bit unpleasant…”
The lady wearing gossamer silk gave a disparaging look at the little maid who had followed her from childhood, “What do you know? Go and listen outside my father’s room to see if you can find out who it is. If we can invite him here, we’ll give him the position of a junior supervising officer.”
“Yes, Xiaotao will go right away.”
As the little maid ran off, the lady looked out to the courtyard, a slow smile spreading across her lips as she casually broke a twig and lightly sketched two words on the ground:
Wind and Moon.
“Interesting…”
Inside the main hall of Black and White Hall at Tan Palace Academy.
Song Yufeng stealthily took out a small packet of tea from his sleeve, just about to pour it into the cup to brew, when he suddenly noticed several elders hurrying over, his heart skipped a beat:
“Old Huang? Can’t be, they found me so quickly? And brought others along?”
He hurriedly covered the cup, maintaining a calm and composed expression.
“Palace Master!”
The leading elder, Huang Licao, approached with an excited expression.
Song Yufeng’s face twitched slightly as he coughed lightly, “Old Huang, no offense, but do you need to be so agitated? It’s just some…”
“Palace Master, Fengshan Menghe River has disappeared!”
Huang Licao exclaimed, “Elder Ni just detected some activity and went to check, the Regional Lord’s Temple has vanished. It only disappears immediately after being permanently cleared, otherwise, the temple would have shattered where it stood into mud.”
“What?”
Song Yufeng was stunned, immediately relieved that they weren’t there to hold him accountable… Wait, Fengshan Menghe River had been cleared? By whom?
“What’s the situation? Explain clearly, who did it?” Song Yufeng pressed on.
“Don’t know, didn’t find the person.”
Huang Licao shook his head, “But your granddaughter seems to have seen it.”
“Yue Yao?”
Song Yufeng was surprised and immediately said, “Then quickly have her come over.”
“She’s already waiting outside.” Huang Licao immediately turned and gestured, and soon, under the accompaniment of an elder, two young girls entered. It was indeed Song Yueyao and Lin Feifei from the moss-covered ground.
The two women had heard the commotion earlier and had rushed to the Regional Lord’s Temple, only to witness the shocking scene of its disappearance.
“Who cleared it?” Song Yufeng asked immediately.
Lin Feifei glanced at her friend, and Song Yueyao, with a calm demeanor, replied, “Reporting to the Palace Master, it seems to have been an external disciple. Feifei and I were training nearby, and only saw the side of that person’s face. It’s not someone I recognize.”
“How many do you know, spending all your time training…” Song Yufeng muttered to himself, then turned to Lin Feifei beside him, “What about you? Did you see clearly?”
“Reporting to the Palace Master, I too only saw a side profile.”
Lin Feifei hastened to add: “But if I see that person again, I will definitely be able to recognize them.”
Song Yufeng nodded slightly, “Alright, then you two go ahead and try to recognize who it was. This is good news, deserving of a great reward!”
“Should we notify the Mo River Authority?” Huang Licao asked.
“The Mo River Authority is destitute enough; we don’t need that bit of royal treasure. Eradicating Mo Rivers is everyone’s responsibility, and also our duty. That Feng Mountain was originally a rural farmland; such a pity that it was ravaged by the Mo River, the entire village perished miserably, enslaved by the river…”
As he spoke, Song Yufeng sighed and shook his head.
Huang Licao nodded and said, “Then I will take them now to recognize the individual, and also put out the word so the person who cleared it can come forward to receive their reward.”
“Mhm.” Song Yufeng nodded.
Huang Licao immediately left with the two girls. Just as he was about to go, he suddenly remembered something and turned to say, “By the way, Palace Master, what were you about to say earlier?”
“Hm?” Song Yufeng replied with confusion, “What was I about to say?”
Seeing his expression, Huang Licao thought he had misheard and promptly made a slight bow before retiring and leaving.
News spread throughout the academy, not just amongst the four external houses, but also disciples within Black and White Hall were stirred.
Especially those from Black and White Hall, all of whom had experienced the brutal challenges of Fengshan Menghe River, were now shocked to hear that someone had cleared the river?
“Who was it? Was it one of the elders?”
“Which elder would be so idle? Besides, even for elders, it’s not easy to clear it. I’ve heard each Mo River’s requirement to clear is incredible, very tough to find.”
“A reward of the Red Sky Precious Sword? That’s forged from meteorite iron, reputed to crush anything it strikes, even able to harm the divine soul!”
The disciples of Black and White Hall bantered amongst themselves.
The four external houses were likewise abuzz, especially Alpha Academy, where everyone vying for the Martial Arts rankings was dumbfounded upon receiving the news.
The Mo River is gone?
Wasn’t that the place they were to be tested for entry into Black and White Hall after one year?
How could it just disappear?
How would they enter Black and White Hall when the time came?
In contrast to Alpha Academy, the other houses were simply bewildered.
The Mo River? What’s that?
Clearly, their primary task given by the house was to first make it into Alpha Academy.
Whatever the Mo River was, it had nothing to do with them. Without a place in Alpha Academy, they wouldn’t even qualify to enter.
“Yue Yao, do you think that person is really an external disciple? Judging by the number of flower patterns on that clothing, I remember it might be, but…”
Among the woods, Lin Feifei and Song Yueyao walked side by side, heading towards the outer houses.
Lin Feifei looked hesitant; she had also challenged Fengshan Menghe River before, and it was tough. Once one entered the village, all the villagers would be alerted, and that was hundreds of Zhou Tian Realm fighters!
Furthermore, if it turned into a prolonged battle, that black-robed scholar would also intervene, making it treacherous even for someone with early Soul Succession Realm power.
