Chapter 1638: Merit

In the Digong, Ye Chen opened his eyes, his gaze deep and boundless.

The dazzling golden light had all receded into his body, merging into his Shengqu. The power of the Shengqu was subtle when contained, but absolutely astonishing when revealed.

With the Shengqu condensed, he had gained a solid foundation. His vital energy surged like an ocean, and at the peak of the Huangjing realm, his aura could rival that of a Shengren.

This was a long-forgotten sensation—the overwhelming power coursing through his body gave him immense confidence, allowing him to face any thorns on the path ahead without fear.

“What a fortuitous encounter.”

Ye Chen smiled and stepped down from the platform.

It was indeed a stroke of fortune. He had found a powerful Shenggu, formed a formidable Shengqu, and his cultivation had soared steadily.

His luck seemed to be on overdrive, with good things coming one after another, impossible to stop. It was destined that he would shine brightly in the Ming Realm.

“Are you done yet?”

From outside the door came Hei Wuchang’s impatient voice, as if he were about to barge in and hurry Ye Chen along.

“Coming.”

Ye Chen jogged out, moving quickly.

At the gateway, Hei Wuchang’s already dark face was covered in twitching black lines. Am I not busy enough?

But soon, Hei Wuchang furrowed his brow slightly.

Ye Chen’s aura was like a vast ocean, majestic and surging.

And his cultivation—when he went in, it was at the Tianjing level, but now he had emerged at the peak of Huangjing. The speed of this advancement was terrifying.

The two guardian ghosts couldn’t help but glance sideways, filled with surprise.

How long had he been inside? And now he was like a completely different person, his Huangjing aura directly overwhelming their two quasi-Sheng levels.

“Can’t deny it, I do look a bit handsome.”

Seeing the three of them staring straight at him, Ye Chen smoothed his hair.

“Follow me.”

Hei Wuchang took a deep breath, suppressing the urge to lash out on the spot, and turned to leave.

Ye Chen didn’t mind and strolled along behind him.

Behind them, the two guardian ghosts scratched their heads, feeling that something was off.

They had seen many people come to select physical bodies, and none had changed much, but someone like Ye Chen was a first.

Could he have chosen an extraordinary Guqu?

But that was impossible! They knew exactly what kind of remains were inside—there was no such exceptional body.

Ye Chen seemed to be in a good mood, humming a tune as he walked.

Hei Wuchang glanced back more than once, his eyes narrowed as he scrutinized Ye Chen—or more precisely, Ye Chen’s physical body.

This Guqu was truly extraordinary, with a powerful force lurking within and vital energy so abundant that even Hei Wuchang was startled.

Sensing Hei Wuchang’s scrutiny, Ye Chen stirred his origin and summoned a golden light, enveloping himself completely.

Hei Wuchang felt awkward, the light making his eyes see stars. As he walked, he rubbed his eyes and even bumped into trees more than once.

“Brother, mind if I ask you something?”

Ye Chen said.

“Go ahead.”

Hei Wuchang was still rubbing his eyes, feeling a bit dazed.

“How often does the new Naihe Bridge deity appear?”

Ye Chen fixed his gaze on Hei Wuchang, hoping for a precise answer.

“Every ten years.”

Hei Wuchang shook his head to clear it and finally snapped out of his daze. He didn’t dare look at Ye Chen again, afraid of getting blinded once more.

“Ten years—that must be so boring.”

Ye Chen sighed.

“There are plenty of boring things.”

Hei Wuchang said, lightly waving his hand and grabbing Ye Chen, vanishing in an instant.

When they reappeared, they were in front of a massive palace.

The palace was grand and imposing, yet stern and cold, adorned with ghost heads and guarded by two rows of Guiwang. It exuded a eerie atmosphere.

Ye Chen looked up and saw the plaque on the palace: Gongde Hall.

Clearly, this was the place for recording Gongde, or at least that’s what Ye Chen thought. The Ming Realm seemed to place great emphasis on Gongde.

Following Hei Wuchang inside, he discovered that the interior formed a vast realm.

Misty yin fog swirled about, fierce ghosts wailed, and there was no light—above was chaotic haze, and below was the same.

The only feature was a massive altar, upon which stood a stone stele towering ten thousand zhang high, like a mountain or a peak.

“This is the Gongde Stele.”

Hei Wuchang said casually, “Spread your fingers and press your palm against the Gongde Stele.”

“Extreme Dao Emperor Aura.”

Ye Chen murmured, stepping onto the altar and extending his left hand, spreading his fingers and pressing them against the stele.

The Gongde Stele trembled and displayed a single character: three.

Ye Chen glanced at it, not understanding the mystery, and turned to Hei Wuchang. “What does this ‘three’ mean?”

“Three is your Gongde count. Anything under ninety-nine is a Xiaogui; over ninety-nine is a Dagui; over nine hundred and ninety-nine is a Guiwang; over nine thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine is a Mingjiang—and so on.”

“So, for example, like Niutou and Matou, does their count increase by one every time they escort a ghost soul back?”

“Do you think Gongde is that easy to accumulate?”

Hei Wuchang glanced at Ye Chen. “Niutou and Matou only get one Gongde point for escorting ten thousand ghost souls. You can figure out the rest.”

“That’s way too much.”

Ye Chen couldn’t help but swallow hard.

“With time, you’ll realize how hard it is to advance these ranks.”

Hei Wuchang patted Ye Chen on the shoulder and smiled for the first time.

His smile had a hint of schadenfreude.

Ye Chen panicked and started counting on his fingers.

Escorting ten thousand ghost souls for just one Gongde point?

Ye Chen realized he had been tricked by the Judge, who had lured him into becoming a Xiaogui and told him he needed to reach Mingjiang for a passport.

Nine thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine Gongde points to become a Mingjiang—he’d have to wait ages to see Chu Ling’er.

“Here, your Gongde ledger—don’t lose it.”

Hei Wuchang smiled even more and handed Ye Chen a document.

“So, this is about accumulating experience, right?”

Ye Chen grimaced.

“If that’s how you see it, there’s no issue.”

“If I earn Gongde and the ledger doesn’t record it, won’t I lose out?”

Ye Chen looked at Hei Wuchang.

“The Gongde ledger is managed by Ming Di himself—no one dares to falsify it, not even the Shi Dian Yanluo.”

Hei Wuchang replied.

“We’re pretty familiar now, so tell me, brother—what’s the fastest way to earn Gongde?”

Ye Chen grinned and nudged Hei Wuchang.

“Go to Niehai and kill E Long, especially by defeating those above your level—that’s the quickest way.”

Hei Wuchang was patient this time, explaining to Ye Chen. “But if you get killed by the E Long, you’ll be doomed to Niehai forever, no different from total annihilation.”

“What exactly is E Long?”

Ye Chen was puzzled. “With Ming Di ruling the Ming Realm, how can they dare cause trouble?”

“Niehai is where negative karma gathers, full of human malice and evil thoughts that love to devour ghost souls. As for the E Long of Niehai, they’re born from it. Ming Di doesn’t bother with them—even a great emperor can’t eradicate the negative karma of the Ming Realm.”

“That’s fresh—Ming Di can’t handle it?”

Ye Chen coughed.

“Earning Gongde in that place is fast, but it’s dangerous and few dare go. If you die, it’s the same as vanishing. Compared to that risk, most choose safer methods, like Niutou and Matou escorting ghost souls, or Dagui and Guiwang guarding Guimen Pass. The Gongde comes slower, but at least your life is safe.”

“Got it.”

Ye Chen tucked away the Gongde ledger, full of determination. To see Chu Ling sooner, he had to work hard.

“Gongde doesn’t only go up—it can go down too.”

Hei Wuchang continued. “Do something that harms Gongde, like killing ghost souls unjustly, and it drops. Or neglect your duties, like Meng Po did with her serious lapse, and Gongde plummets.”

“There’s that rule?”

Ye Chen gave a dry laugh, feeling even more sorry for Meng Po. Not only had she lost her divine position, but her Gongde had been reduced— no wonder she had a sour face toward him that day.

No surprise the Dagui guarding Huangquan Road were so uncompromising.

Letting you in was one thing, but if you caused trouble at Naihe Bridge, they’d lose Gongde too.

“Anything else you want to ask?”

Hei Wuchang said leisurely. “If not, this errand of mine counts as one Gongde.”

“That’s one Gongde? So easy?”

Ye Chen clicked his tongue. “Being an official makes earning Gongde a breeze.”

But thinking about it, that made sense.

Hei Wuchang was at the Mingjiang level—one or two Gongde points were trivial to him, just a side benefit.

“Looks like you have no more questions.”

Hei Wuchang said, preparing to leave the Gongde Hall and report back.

“Wait, wait.”

Ye Chen quickly grabbed Hei Wuchang and chuckled. “Hey, can Gongde be transferred?”

“If the other party agrees willingly, why not?”

“If yours can be transferred to me, do it! I’ll pay you back later.”

“You got ideals?”

Hei Wuchang draped an arm over Ye Chen’s shoulder, his expression meaningful.

“Yeah.”

Ye Chen replied, though a bit confused about why Hei Wuchang was asking and what he was getting at.

“Then take your ideals and get the hell out of here.”