Chapter 766: Chapter 766: 767: Living Worse than a Dog

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“Huh? Is there work to be done?”

Ergouzi groggily woke up from its sleep, having exhausted itself by reciting scriptures all night. It started off just reading them, but as it recited, it felt such a great drain on its spirit that even the thought of causing trouble faded away.

“Go show them how easy it is to accumulate Merit Value,”

Li Xiaobai said indifferently.

Upon hearing this, Ergouzi immediately perked up, its eyes casting a disdainful glance over the group of people as it strutted back and forth in the hall, contemptuously curling its lips.

The highest among them was a mere 252, simply trash.

“Prince Zhatian, what is this? Why would you have a dog scrutinize us? Are you trying to shame us?”

The cultivators’ faces all darkened, their eyes looking at the wretched dog as if they wanted to kill.

“You are not worthy of Lord Ergouzi’s humiliation. Today, let’s open your eyes and witness your Lord Ergouzi’s Merit Value!”

No sooner had he spoken than Ergouzi’s body trembled, and a golden light burst forth inside the hall; above its head, the golden light twisted, eventually forming the figure of one thousand, strikingly marking one thousand Merit Value points.

The crowd was shocked, their eyes filled with disbelief—how could a mere dog possess such profound Merit Value?

What had it done, saved a village?

Or had it come across some profound Buddhist scripture?

In the Central Origin Realm, the level of the scriptures also determined how quickly or slowly Merit Value increased. They lived in the Eastern Continent, where not many scriptures circulated; to really find good scriptures, one must go to the Western Continent.

But the existence of this dog shattered their perception, possessing a full one thousand points of Merit Value, rubbing their faces on the ground!

At that moment, not just them, but all the Princely Heirs felt insulted too, insulted in a silent and heart-wrenching way.

They practiced the scriptures day and night, striving to increase their Merit Value, only to find in the end they were living worse than a dog?

“How… how did you do it?”

“Could it be you have some extraordinary scripture?”

Someone questioned.

“Merit Value is a state of being. You mere mortals, with deep desires in your hearts, how can you hold onto Merit Value? Only by seeing through the worldly dust with a clear mind and heart can you begin to comprehend!”

“In the eyes of this Buddhist child, even if you bear the mark of Merit Value, you are still followers of the Demon Path at heart. Tell me, how can you cultivate properly with such an attitude?”

Ergouzi sat cross-legged, speaking confidently.

It was spouting a load of profound truths, leaving the crowd flabbergasted. Damn it, could a dog really say such things?

Even their initiating mentors had not taught such principles, and now they were being schooled by a dog?

“Incredible, this little dog actually claims to be a Buddhist child, a title that only those with profound Merit Value in the Western Continent can hold!”

“Old Eighteen, when did you befriend such a Divine Beast? This is a natural fortune!”

“Its arrival in our Great Flame Dynasty is a blessing indeed, prosperity is just around the corner!”

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The Grand Emperor’s eyes instantly became fervent and excited, completely ignoring the unsightly faces of His Majesty and the multitude of Princely Heirs; with Hellfire in front and now this Divine Beast, in his view, the current eighteenth prince had the qualities of a chosen one.

Had the other Princely Heirs heard his true thoughts, it would probably have made them so angry they’d spit out a mouthful of blood.

“Everything is fate, this thing called destiny, it happens by chance, not by seeking. If you encounter it, then it’s yours, and if you don’t, even snatching is futile. This Buddha’s son has come here, naturally having a profound connection with the Great Flame Dynasty. As to whether it is a blessing or a misfortune, that will have to be observed slowly in the days to come.”

Ergouzi said calmly, his few words immediately elevating his status by several levels.

Li Xiaobai watched, dumbfounded. Since when had this guy become such a charlatan?

“Hahaha, you being friends with my eighteenth is surely a good omen,”

declared the Grand Emperor, clearly very happy, with surprises continuously entering his view.

The surrounding Disciples fell silent, having been metaphorically slapped in the face by a dog. What else could they say? From now on, they dared not say that earning Merit Value was hard. If even a dog could cultivate its merit to this extent, what reason did they have not to work hard?

Many Disciples, reflecting on their wasted years, couldn’t help but sigh deeply. If they had worked harder back then and indulged less, perhaps their status would be higher now?

“Hmm, this Buddha’s son also hopes for the same,”

nodded Ergouzi.

“Come, come, come, let’s drink!”

Taking advantage of the moment when everyone was toasting, Li Xiaobai whispered, “That’s about enough, don’t overdo it, or it could kill someone.”

Ergouzi shook his head and swaggered, “This is nothing yet. I tell you, just a thousand Merit Value has already gotten me this far. Once I accumulate ten thousand, I’m going to the Western Continent to inherit the vast enterprise of the Buddhist Sect and resolve the confusions of all creatures!”

Black lines covered Li Xiaobai’s forehead. If this creature went to the Buddhist Sect to resolve the doubts of the masses, that would truly torment those beings!

“The Great Flame Dynasty, truly a place where hidden dragons and crouching tigers lie!”

“These years, this old man may have had moments of poor hospitality. I hope you won’t take it to heart, Elder!”

“Yes, yes, if the Great Flame Dynasty ever needs anything, just give us a signal, we’ll definitely support you with all our might!”

“However, a few days ago I heard that King Weiwu returned from the Earth Spirit Realm to the Central Origin Realm; why, then, have we not seen him today?”

“Those Princely Heirs from my Sword Dynasty have been missing since they went to the Barbaric Lands; I wanted to ask if King Weiwu might have seen them!”

After several rounds of flattering, an elder from the Sword Dynasty spoke again, his words quite ambiguous, not daring to show any trace of hostility. The surrounding major powers all pricked up their ears, wanting to hear the Elder’s reply. To be frank, quite a few of their Sect Disciples had also disappeared; none from the first batch that went down had sent back any reassuring news.

But what they were more concerned about was how King Weiwu would deal with the several geniuses he had brought back. Would they stay in the Great Flame Dynasty, or would they be sold off to other sects as a favor?

“Hehe, just knew you would ask about that. Actually, it’s not really a secret; you all would find out sooner or later.”

“In those Barbaric Lands, there is a gifted young cultivator whose talents defy the heavens. It is said that at just over twenty years of age, he broke through to the Human Immortal Realm in that uncivilized territory. The first batch of Disciples and cultivators who went down were all tied up by him.”

“A Princely Heir of our Great Flame Dynasty was also taken away by him, and his whereabouts are still unknown. King Weiwu has already returned to the Earth Spirit Realm to search for this thief.”

The Grand Emperor explained slowly.

“I’ve heard that King Weiwu has brought back several supreme geniuses this time. I’m curious how the Great Flame Dynasty plans to deal with them. If there is any intention to transfer them to other sects, please consider the Sword Dynasty?”

“Cough cough, and don’t forget my Li Dynasty…”