Chapter 719
The Jade Emperor is Envious of the Divine Water of Merit
"No need for formalities, please rise."
The Jade Emperor raised his hand slightly, his tone becoming increasingly gentle.
"Your journey to the west has brought glory to our Heavenly Court and mediated disputes. Your efforts have been invaluable. Upon your return, you have worked tirelessly to reorganize the Heavenly Prison and build the Great Hall. You are truly a pillar and pillar of our Heavenly Court. With you by my side, I am greatly comforted."
These words were extremely high praise. Calling Lin Zhu a "pillar of the Heavenly Court" and a "key minister" practically elevated him to the pinnacle of Heavenly Court officials. Upon hearing this, the immortals in the hall reacted with varying expressions: some envied, some showed awe, and some seemed lost in thought, but none dared to express the slightest dissent.
"Your Majesty flatters me; this is merely my duty."
Lin Zhu made a modest remark, then got straight to the point.
"What are Your Majesty's orders for summoning me?"
The Jade Emperor pondered for a moment, his gaze behind the beaded curtain seemed to flicker slightly, and he spoke slowly, his voice still calm, but carrying a subtle hint of imperial cunning.
“My dear minister, I have heard that in addition to mediating the Dragon Clan’s affairs, your trip to the Western Paradise seems to have yielded some ‘gains’? It seems that the Western Paradise will be giving you some ‘entanglements’ lately.”
He paused, observing Lin Zhu's reaction, and continued.
"I know you act according to your own methods and are not afraid of those trivial matters. However, as an important minister of the Heavenly Court, it is not a good thing for you to be constantly bothered by external affairs, both in public and private matters."
I think that among your 'harvests,' some items might have limited use for you or be difficult to dispose of, potentially attracting covetousness. If so, I can arrange it for you. The Heavenly Treasury also has some old items that we can exchange with you, so that each of us can get what we need, saving you a lot of trouble.”
These words sound grand and dignified, expressing concern, offering "help," and finally mentioning "exchange," which is actually a euphemism for acquisition.
In particular, the phrase "if it has a single use or is not easy to dispose of, it will easily attract covetousness" is almost a direct indication that the top-tier treasures you brought from the Western Paradise, especially hard currency like the Divine Water of Merit, are too much for you to use and are too conspicuous. You might as well take them out and I will exchange them with the "accumulated treasures" of the Heavenly Court.
Lin Zhu was fully aware of the Jade Emperor's intentions.
At this moment, aside from those magical treasures, he still had a considerable amount of merit water left. Upgrading the thirty-sixth grade Creation Green Lotus had consumed 500,000 units of merit water and some Three Lights Divine Water, and later, for the purpose of mutation, he poured in another 500,000 units of merit water and two Muni Light-Stabilizing Pearls.
He originally had a total of 1.6 million merit points of divine water, and now he has about 600,000 left.
Lin Zhu had already planned how to use these 600,000 units of Merit Water. Should he absorb it all himself for cultivation? While that would certainly improve his cultivation and perhaps help him reach or even break through the Quasi-Saint threshold faster, it wouldn't be the most efficient option. Merit Water was remarkably effective at enhancing the strength of the weak and helping them break through bottlenecks; it was the best resource for mass-producing mid-to-high-level combat power.
Lin Zhu wanted to improve himself, but he also wanted to raise the overall strength of the Nine-Layer Heavenly Prison to a new level.
Just then, the silent system notification sounded in his mind.
[Special scene detected. Lingxiao Palace.]
[A limited-time daily check-in task has been triggered. A 'fair' trade by Heaven.]
[Task Objective: Inside the Lingxiao Palace, offer 500,000 units of merit-based divine water to the Jade Emperor and successfully exchange it for an equivalent amount of merit points or special privileges.]
[Quest Reward: 100,000 Merit Points Divine Water, significantly increasing Heavenly Court Reputation.]
[Note: This task aims to promote the rational flow of resources and deepen the relationship with the core of the Heavenly Court. The host's original merit-based plans will not be affected.]
Lin Zhu's heart stirred.
This mission came at just the right time! He had originally planned to leave 200,000 units of merit-based divine water as a "strategic reserve" and incentive resource for the Nine-Layer Heavenly Prison, to cultivate core personnel.
The current system task requires a donation of 500,000, with a reward of 100,000, which means a net investment of 400,000. However, in return, one can gain the Jade Emperor's "merit of vows" or special privileges, as well as the system reward of 100,000 and an increase in reputation.
More importantly, this perfectly counters the Jade Emperor's current "acquisition" intentions, while also doing him a favor and consolidating his own position.
Almost the instant the system notification sounded, Lin Zhu made his decision.
He showed a perfectly timed expression, as if touched by the Jade Emperor's thoughtful care, before becoming somewhat "embarrassed" and "frank."
"Your Majesty is wise and considerate; I am deeply grateful."
Lin Zhu first offered a compliment, then sighed.
"To be honest, Your Majesty, during my journey to the west, I did indeed acquire some... well, I would say 'ownerless items'. Among them was one particularly peculiar one."
As he spoke, in full view of everyone, he reached into his waist and pulled out a huge gourd that was as tall as a person and required both arms to encircle! The gourd was dark gold in color, with natural cloud patterns flowing on its surface. Although it looked ancient, it faintly exuded a profound aura that could contain the universe.
Lin Zhu gently placed the enormous gourd on the smooth floor of the hall with a soft thud. The gourd didn't land heavily, but the muffled sound seemed to strike the hearts of all the immortals.
"This thing," Lin Zhu pointed to the large gourd, his tone a mix of "finding a treasure" and "not knowing what to do with it."
"I found it by chance when I passed by a remote mountain stream. At the time, it was shrouded in rosy light and filled with a precious aura, yet no one was watching over it. I felt as if I had a connection with it, so I casually... brought it back. When I opened it, I found it to be completely full..."
He paused deliberately, his gaze sweeping over the immortals in the hall who were holding their breath for a moment, before slowly uttering four words.
"—Merit Water".
Before he could finish speaking, Lin Zhu seemed to "accidentally" touch the stopper of the gourd. Instantly, an indescribable, extremely pure, and so rich in merit energy that it almost turned into a pale golden mist erupted from the gourd's mouth like a long-suppressed volcano, quickly spreading out!
"hiss--!!!"
"This...this aura!!"
"Meritorious Water! So pure! So vast!" "My God! This gourd...how many are there? Ten thousand? Two hundred thousand?!"
"More than that! Judging from the concentration of this aura and the size of the gourd, it's probably... probably hundreds of thousands!"
"Found it on the roadside? No one was watching it? Lin Yushen's luck... is simply heaven-defying!"
"The Western Paradise... Could it be that he really... went straight into the Pool of Merit? Otherwise, where would such a massive amount of divine water of merit come from?!"
In an instant, the entire Lingxiao Palace erupted in chaos! All the immortals, regardless of their cultivation level or status, were so shocked by the terrifying aura and the enormous gourd that they lost their composure. Exclamations, gasps, and incredulous discussions filled the air!
Merit Water! It's a "currency" and a treasure for cultivation that's more valuable than any elixir, magic elixir, or spirit mineral! Ordinary celestial officials would be lucky to accumulate a few hundred or a thousand drops after ten thousand years of hard work.
If the gourd in front of us, as tall as a person, were filled entirely with the Divine Water of Merit, the quantity would be beyond imagination!
Many immortals stared wide-eyed at the gourd, their throats bobbing uncontrollably, their eyes revealing naked desire and covetousness! The dense, almost overwhelming aura of merit, when inhaled, made one feel a subtle stirring in their cultivation, and their bottlenecks loosened!
Even the Jade Emperor, seated high on his dragon throne, trembled almost imperceptibly the moment the aura of merit spread. Behind the beaded curtain, his once calm and profound eyes suddenly blazed with a burning light! It was an uncontrollable desire, the kind that arises when one sees a supreme treasure that can solve their immediate crisis and greatly enhance the Heavenly Court's foundation!
Even some sharp-eyed celestial officials vaguely noticed that a trace of crystalline liquid seemed to be about to slip uncontrollably from the corner of the Jade Emperor's solemn and dignified mouth! Fortunately, the Jade Emperor reacted extremely quickly, taking a slight breath almost simultaneously to instantly erase the sign of "loss of composure" and sit up straight again.
But how could that fleeting desire escape the notice of Lin Zhu, who had been watching closely?
Lin Zhu chuckled inwardly, but feigned confusion on his face, looked up at the Jade Emperor, and tentatively asked.
"Your Majesty? This object... its aura seems rather peculiar. My knowledge is limited, and I do not know the proper course of action. Keeping it by my side, as Your Majesty has said, may indeed invite trouble. I wonder what Your Majesty's opinion is..."
Before he could finish speaking, the Jade Emperor spoke, his voice still maintaining the solemnity of an emperor, but upon closer listening, one could discern beneath that solemnity a hint of barely suppressed urgency and pleading.
"Minister Lin!"
The Jade Emperor's voice was even slightly louder than usual.
"This item... is indeed extraordinary. Such pure and vast meritorious water is rare even in the entire Three Realms. Your good fortune is truly admirable."
He paused, seemingly trying to calm himself and make his tone sound more like he was considering the well-being of his subjects.
"Such treasures may be difficult for you to use all at once, and possessing them would be a crime. Since you say you don't know how to deal with them, I... I may be able to make arrangements for you. The Heavenly Court governs the Three Realms and has accumulated a great deal of merit and virtue. It may have special access to its treasury and some rare treasures that we can exchange with you. I will certainly not let you suffer any loss."
The Jade Emperor's heart was already in turmoil.
He desperately needs the Divine Water of Merit! The Heavenly Court nominally rules over the Three Realms, but in reality, it is not easy to accumulate the merit and vows that can be directly mobilized, especially such a pure and massive amount of Divine Water of Merit!
Even the accumulation of hundreds of eons might not be enough to easily produce this much! And as the Heavenly Emperor, he needs to balance the various forces, reward merit and punish demerit, cultivate his loyal followers, and deal with the eons... He needs resources everywhere!
Especially seeing Lin Zhu's Nine-Layered Heavenly Prison grow in power and achieve remarkable feats in recent years, with a plethora of capable subordinates, while he himself, as the ruler of the Three Realms, often finds it difficult to freely command those high-ranking immortals, he urgently needs to promote a group of truly capable, obedient, and powerful loyal subordinates. The Merit Divine Water is the catalyst to quickly forge such a force!
However, he could not use force, nor could he directly "borrow" manpower or resources from Lin Zhu or the Nine Heavens Prison. That would not only be a loss of face, but also dig his own grave, and would chill the heart of this minister who had now become the sharpest blade and the most valued subject of the Heavenly Court.
Therefore, the only options are to exchange or plead.
At this moment, faced with the Jade Emperor's seemingly solemn but actually eager request, everyone in the hall focused their attention on Lin Zhu again, waiting for his answer.
Lin Zhu raised the corners of his mouth slightly, revealing a gentle smile that was as refreshing as a spring breeze. He spoke clearly and calmly to the Jade Emperor, and also to all the gods in the hall who were listening intently.
"Your Majesty, there is no need for such politeness. This item may cause trouble for me, but it is of great use to the Heavenly Court. How could I possibly be stingy with it?"
He patted the huge gourd beside him, his tone as casual as if he were giving away an ordinary gift.
"I am willing to hand over everything inside this gourd to Your Majesty, and offer it to you as you see fit."
Hand over everything...everything?!
Are we to leave it to His Majesty to do as he pleases?!
"..."
The Lingxiao Palace fell into a deathly silence once again. It was ten times quieter than when Lin Zhu had first entered! All the gods, including the emperors and star lords who had seen countless storms, stared wide-eyed and gaped, as if they had heard something utterly unbelievable!
The Jade Emperor's body trembled violently, the beaded curtain swayed, and his imperial eyes were fixed on Lin Zhu, then on the huge gourd. He felt an indescribable surge of heat rush to his head, and his eyes even felt slightly sore and swollen!
His longing was almost overflowing at this moment. The ecstasy of having his wish fulfilled and the shock of this surprise coming so suddenly and so overwhelming that he was choked and unable to speak for a moment!
He... he's actually willing to hand it all over?! This... this...
Inside the hall, the immortals were still immersed in the continuous and increasingly shocking impact of the "gourd as tall as a person," the "hundreds of thousands of merits and divine waters," and the "all offered up." Their minds were shaken and they could hardly calm down.
The Jade Emperor took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing his almost out-of-control emotional fluctuations. His hands clenched slightly in his sleeves as he tried to restore the composure and majesty of an emperor to his voice, but it still carried a hint of excitement that he could not completely hide.
"Minister Lin... your sincerity is witnessed by heaven and earth! I... I am deeply gratified!"
He knew that the specific details of the transaction, such as what kind of "merit and virtue" or "special privileges" would be exchanged, needed to be discussed privately. But Lin Zhu's unwavering attitude of "giving it all away" had already put a great weight off his heart, and he was overjoyed.
Meanwhile, in Lin Zhu's mind, the system task progress bar steadily advanced a large step forward. Once he completed this "fair" transaction with the Jade Emperor, the reward of 100,000 merit points of divine water, along with the deeper benefits of "reputation," would be his.
After the initial shock and silence, the atmosphere inside the hall began to brew new and complex fluctuations.
All the gods knew that after this incident, Lin Zhu's position in the Heavenly Court would be unshakeable. And His Majesty the Jade Emperor would gain a massive "strategic resource" capable of influencing the future order of things.
Sitting on his supreme dragon throne, the Jade Emperor felt that the deep breath he had just taken did not inhale the celestial energy of the Lingxiao Palace, but rather the almost scalding surprise and pressure brought by Lin Zhu's words, "Hand it all over."
He forcefully activated the Heavenly Emperor's Heart Technique, suppressing the almost overflowing excitement in his heart, but when he spoke, his voice still inevitably carried a few barely perceptible tremors.
"Lin... Minister Lin, what you just said... is it true? Is there really... 500,000 merit points of divine water in this gourd? You... you are really willing to... sell it?"
He spoke the word "sale" with exceptional clarity and caution. (End of Chapter)