The Eternal God Emperor and the Demon Ancestor

Chapter 99 Temple of Merit

The Milky Way stretches across the Heavenly Court's territory, a vast expanse of stars, with billions of stardust flowing and celestial mists rising, interwoven with the laws of the Dao, nurturing the fortune and vitality of all the heavens and myriad realms.

Beside the Milky Way stands a star of merit. This star is no ordinary spherical star, but rather takes the form of a staircase leading to the heavens, traversing the Milky Way with a majestic and eternally towering presence. The entire star has a total of 8,940 steps, each step towering a mile high, with a vast and boundless surface. On each step, a "Book of Merit" of a great world is suppressed.

The Book of Merit is a supreme treasure of the Heavenly Court, forged from Heavenly River Divine Iron and Chaos Spirit Wood. It is engraved with the Heavenly Dao's rules of merit and automatically records the battle achievements and points of cultivators and forces in the battlefield of merit. It is the only basis for the Heavenly Court to rank the myriad realms, allocate cultivation resources, and determine the honor and disgrace of the realms, and it is related to the rise and fall of the eight thousand realms of the Heavenly Court.

The staircase leads straight to the depths of the Milky Way, at the very top of which sits the Temple of Merit.

The temple was magnificent and unparalleled, its size comparable to the more than eight thousand steps of the heavenly ladder below, and its height approaching eight thousand miles. The temple was built of golden crystal, and its outer walls were engraved with hundreds of millions of divine characters. The top of the temple was hidden in the misty divine fog, with the clouds surging and containing immeasurable merit and laws. Even true gods, standing at the foot of the temple, could hardly see its full appearance, only feeling its majestic and vastness, and feeling awe.

As the core temple of the Heavenly Court, the Temple of Merit holds the dominant power in the battle of merit across the myriad realms, and is in charge of the allocation of resources, calculation of points, and determination of rewards and punishments. It wields immense power and is one of the core hubs of the Heavenly Court's operation, as well as a crucial power that all forces vie for.

At this moment, inside the main hall of the Temple of Merit, golden light of merit flowed and celestial music wafted, yet undercurrents were surging beneath the surface.

Xuan Dao, clad in a plain robe, with a compassionate face, was surrounded by a shimmering aura of Buddhist light. His aura was calm and profound. He stood shoulder to shoulder with several war gods, including Zhao Gongming of the Heavenly Palace, and gathered with the gods of the Temple of Merit. The atmosphere seemed peaceful, but in reality, tensions were high, and an invisible clash of power quietly permeated the hall.

Seated in the main seat was Yan Mingjun, the master of the Temple of Merit.

He wore a five-colored robe embroidered with merit cloud patterns, with a handsome face and a dignified demeanor, yet he remained expressionless, his eyes as deep as an abyss. He was surrounded by the terrifying pressure of the late stage of the Great Freedom and Boundless Realm, his aura restrained, yet the gods in the hall dared not look him directly in the eye.

Yan Mingjun is a half-angel and half-human hybrid in the Heavenly Realm. He is exceptionally talented and was taken in as the personal disciple of the Heavenly Realm's most powerful merchant ancestor from a young age. He has had a smooth and successful career, and his cultivation has advanced by leaps and bounds. With his profound background and his own strength, he has firmly established himself as the master of the Temple of Merit. He is one of the most prominent figures in the Heavenly Court, and his temperament and shrewdness far surpass those of ordinary people.

Even when facing several war gods from the Heavenly Palace and the renowned Xuan Dao, he remained seated, his demeanor unwavering, displaying the bearing of a palace master. However, when Xuan Dao raised his hand and presented him with a divine decree radiating supreme divine power and golden light, Yan Mingjun's fingertips trembled slightly.

He unfolded the divine decree, his gaze sweeping over its contents. His previously calm state of mind instantly sank, as if he had fallen into an ice cave.

Above the divine decree, the will of the Jade Emperor was clear and unambiguous—to appoint Xuan Dao as the Deputy Hall Master of the Temple of Merit, to assist the Hall Master, to reorganize the Temple of Merit, to take charge of the affairs of the Merit War, and to reshape the battlefield landscape of the Heavenly Court.

Yan Mingjun's heart was in turmoil, but his face remained calm.

How could he not know that Haotian's actions were a complete expression of his dissatisfaction with the performance of the Temple of Merit over the past tens of thousands of years!

Since the defeat of the Kunlun Realm fifty thousand years ago, the Western Universe has become a dictatorship of the Heavenly Realm. Due to its border with the Hell Realm, the Heavenly Court has vigorously supported the various realms of the Western Universe, leading to the rapid expansion of the Heavenly Realm's power and its control over many Heavenly Court authority. Since then, the Merit War has completely changed its nature. For tens of thousands of years, the Heavenly Court and the Hell Realm have been engaged in continuous battles, with the Hell Realm's army sweeping across the land, destroying countless great worlds and life-bearing planets of the Heavenly Court, causing widespread suffering to all living beings.

All of this was partly due to the factions within the Heavenly Court, their infighting, and their reluctance to fight with all their might. However, the Temple of Merit was also largely to blame. As the instigator of the Merit War, the Heavenly Realm faction under Yan Mingjun's command arbitrarily manipulated the points, favored their own forces, withheld resources from weaker realms, and arranged unfair battles. This led to the demoralization of the various realms within the Heavenly Court, resulting in repeated defeats in the Merit War and a clear decline in morale. This greatly disappointed Haotian.

Initially, Haotian appointed Yan Mingjun as the Palace Master of the Temple of Merit to appease Shang Zu and win over the factions of the Heavenly Realm. Now, Mingde, Xuandao, Zhenyu, and others have joined forces, gathering many forces from the Western Buddhist Realm, the Primordial Realm, and the Thousand Star Civilization, becoming the largest faction within the Heavenly Court, capable of counterbalancing the Heavenly Realm.

Haotian, seizing the opportunity, appointed Xuandao to reside in the Temple of Merit. This was not only to break the Heavenly Realm's monopoly on the Temple of Merit and to reverse the decline on the battlefield, but also to redistribute the power structure of the Heavenly Court, hoping that Xuandao could turn the tide and reverse the decline of the Heavenly Court in the face of the Hell Realm's offensive over the past tens of thousands of years.

Xuan Dao saw that Yan Mingjun had finished reading the divine decree, clasped his hands together, and chanted a Buddhist prayer. His tone was calm yet carried an undeniable certainty: "Amitabha, Lord Yan, you are already clear about the will of Heaven. From now on, I will be the Deputy Lord of the Temple of Merit, in charge of all matters within the temple. I hope that Lord Yan will take good care of me, and that we can work together to assist the Heavenly Court."

The phrase "in charge of all affairs within the palace" clearly states the authority bestowed upon him by Haotian, leaving Yan Mingjun no room for maneuver.

Yan Mingjun slowly closed the divine decree, applied slight pressure with his fingertips, and placed it on the table in front of him. He already understood that the decree of the Heavenly Emperor had been issued and was set in stone; he had no power to change it.

Xuan Dao's own cultivation has reached the pinnacle of freedom and boundless power, and his combat strength is overwhelming. He also has the support of the Western Buddhist Realm and Mingde, making his power so strong that even his master, the Shang Ancestor, could only choose to compromise and temporarily avoid the limelight in the face of this combined force.

He harbored extreme fear of Xuan Dao, yet he could only suppress his anger, forcing out a stiff smile as he spoke: "Fellow Daoist Xuan Dao possesses exceptional talent and high moral character. Your joining my Temple of Merit is a blessing for the temple and a boon for the Heavenly Court. Since the Heavenly Emperor has already issued the decree, I will naturally obey. I believe that with your assistance, the Temple of Merit will surely be revitalized and reverse the decline in the Merit War."

While his words were spoken in a grand and dignified manner, Yan Mingjun's heart was already churning with unsettling thoughts as he rapidly devised a countermeasure.

He knew that although he was talented and his cultivation surpassed Xuan Dao's, his combat strength was far inferior. His strength was even weaker than his junior brother Qing Chengyun, so he couldn't forcefully subdue Xuan Dao. Once Xuan Dao took root in the temple, he would inevitably be gradually sidelined, ending up like Yu Jingzhen of the Space Temple—a temple master reduced to a marginal figure at the Dan Yuan Conference. This was a lesson he had to learn.

The reactions of the gods inside the hall were quite different.

Led by Yan Mingjun, a group of high-ranking members of the Temple of Merit from the Heavenly Realm faction all had gloomy faces and unfriendly eyes, staring intently at Xuan Dao with hostility.

However, the other high-ranking officials and true gods of the temple who were not from the Heavenly Realm had their eyes shining and their faces showing joy, and they wholeheartedly welcomed the arrival of Xuan Dao.

The situation of the Temple of Merit was known to all the gods in Heaven.

The Western Universe is the front line between the Heavenly Court and the Hell Realm. For tens of thousands of years, all the great battles of merit have been concentrated in the territory of the Western Universe. Therefore, more than 70% of the cultivators in the Temple of Merit come from various realms of the Western Universe. However, the temple master, Yan Mingjun, comes from the Heavenly Realm. After years of management, most of the high-level managers in the temple are monopolized by the Heavenly Realm and its vassal forces, making them the only ones who can act arbitrarily and with absolute power.

Yan Mingjun held absolute power in the hall, arbitrarily manipulating the merit war, favoring the Heavenly Realm faction, and withholding and exploiting the merit resources of other realms. The points and resources that cultivators from weaker realms fought desperately to obtain were exploited layer by layer by the Heavenly Realm faction. Countless great worlds were destroyed and people died as a result. The gods in the hall who were not from the Heavenly Realm faction had long harbored resentment, but dared not speak out.

Now that Xuandao has been ordered to take up residence, he will inevitably break the dictatorship of the Heavenly Realm and reorganize the power system of the Temple of Merit. These gods, who have been suppressed for many years, finally have the opportunity to turn the tables and seize power, and are naturally full of anticipation.

Besides the temple master Yan Mingjun, the Temple of Merit also has four experts at the Boundless Realm level. Its top-level combat strength is second only to the Temple of Light among the many temples in the Heavenly Court, demonstrating its profound foundation.

One of them was the Ancient Buddha of Universal Salvation.

He wore an old kasaya, had a kind face, and was surrounded by a gentle Buddhist aura. His cultivation had reached the mid-stage of the Boundless Realm. Although he was not from the Western Paradise Buddhist Realm, he had studied under the Sixth Patriarch of Buddhism and had a deep connection with the Western Paradise Buddhist Realm. In terms of seniority, he was a senior uncle of Xuandao and had a very high prestige in the temple.

When Puji Ancient Buddha learned that Xuandao had been appointed as the deputy hall master, the resentment that had been building up in his heart for many years was swept away, and his face showed genuine joy.

He had long been disgusted by the actions of Yan Mingjun and others.

Over the years, the Heavenly Realm faction has held absolute power in the Temple of Merit, manipulating wars, enriching themselves, and exploiting all realms, completely disregarding the lives of cultivators on the front lines. Countless cultivators from weaker realms are forced to rush to the Merit Battlefield, where death is certain. If they win, they can protect their homes, but most of their resources will be taken from them; if they lose, their realms will be destroyed, and they will perish without a trace.

For their own benefit, the factions in the Heavenly Realm even try to seize resources stained with the blood of all living beings. Even though they share some of the benefits with themselves and try to win them over, the Ancient Buddha of Universal Salvation always scoffs at them and refuses to associate with them.

He was born in an ordinary world and witnessed the miserable plight of the weak in the battlefield of merit. He upheld the Sixth Patriarch's ideal of "equality of all beings and universal salvation" and devoted his life to fighting against injustice and exploitation in the universe. This was also his original intention when he joined the Temple of Merit.

However, after the Sixth Patriarch passed away, his strength was limited, and he was powerless to resist the factions of the Heavenly Realm, let alone change the corrupt structure of the Temple of Merit. Fifty thousand years ago, during the God War of Kunlun Realm, he personally went to the front line, but was seriously injured by the Death God of Hell Realm. His foundation was damaged, and in despair, he went into seclusion for tens of thousands of years to recuperate and cultivate, and did not care about worldly affairs.

Now that Xuandao has arrived, he finally sees hope for changing the situation.

Puji Ancient Buddha immediately stood up, walked quickly to Xuandao, took Xuandao's hand, and spoke in a friendly tone, full of expectation, without any sense of unfamiliarity: "Nephew, you've finally arrived! With you presiding over the Temple of Merit, the evil influences in this temple can finally be eradicated!"

Upon seeing this, Xuan Dao immediately bowed respectfully and spoke humbly: "Uncle-Master, I am your junior disciple. Uncle-Master is an elder here. Now that we are working together in the same hall, I ask Uncle-Master to give me more guidance and care, so that I may not fall into a trap and be schemed against."

As he spoke, Xuan Dao's gaze swept lightly over Yan Mingjun and the various gods from the Heavenly Realm factions, the unspoken message of which was self-evident.

Puji Ancient Buddha smiled knowingly, immediately understanding, and turned to pull Xuandao along, introducing him to the gods in the hall one by one. He specifically introduced the other three high-ranking members of the Boundless Realm of the Merit Temple, as well as all the True Gods and Elders from non-Heavenly Realm factions who harbored discontent, to Xuandao, quickly helping him gain a foothold in the Merit Temple and gather a force strong enough to rival the Heavenly Realm.

From his seat of honor, Yan Mingjun took in the entire scene. His expression instantly turned extremely gloomy, and a chill emanated from the golden light of merit around him. He tapped his fingertips lightly on the table, suppressing the anger in his heart.

Several elders from the Heavenly Realm faction beside them could no longer contain themselves. Their faces showed anger as they stood up, wanting to step forward and interrupt the two, but Yan Mingjun raised his hand and stopped them sharply.

He knew that with the imperial decree in front of him and the support of the Ancient Buddha of Universal Salvation in Xuandao, if he were to forcefully make trouble, he would only be accused of disobeying the divine decree and ostracizing his colleagues, thus giving others a handle to use against him, which would be a loss for him.

Beside him, several war gods, including Zhao Gongming of the Heavenly Palace, watched the situation in the hall and finally breathed a sigh of relief.

They accompanied Xuandao here because they were worried that Yan Mingjun, relying on the power of the Heavenly Realm, would outwardly comply but inwardly defy the will of the Heavenly Emperor, exclude and isolate Xuandao, and cause internal strife in the temple.

But now, with the strong support of Puji Ancient Buddha, an elder of the temple and a powerful expert of the Boundless Realm, Xuandao's position in the Temple of Merit has been completely secured.

With Xuan Dao, Puji Ancient Buddha, and others joining forces to check and balance Yan Mingjun, breaking the Heavenly Realm's dictatorial control over the Temple of Merit, the future landscape of the Heavenly Court's merit wars will inevitably be rewritten. The original situation where one faction in the Heavenly Realm held absolute power will no longer exist, and the decline of the Heavenly Court in its fight against the Hell Realm will finally usher in a turning point. The stability within the Heavenly Court will also have an extra layer of protection, which puts them at ease.