Steady Cultivation: Starting With the Perk “Work Hard, Rest Hard” Chapter 625: Earning Merit Points

Su Yuan nodded and readily agreed, "Of course you can!"

Dominator Jiemeng secretly let out a breath of relief. She had indeed sustained injuries in the prior battle, wounds affecting her very soul. While she possessed a secret method for harmonizing and healing through dream interactions, it now seemed unnecessary. She could arrange to seek assistance from Dominator Seven Stars for recovery privately later, and the debt could be settled over time.

With Wuyazi and Jiemeng successfully integrated, the remaining Stone Dominator, Moon Dominator, and Che Chi Old Man all voiced their intention to join as well.

Su Yuan gave his consent to each of them.

Witnessing this, Taixuan Dominator remained indecisive. Ultimately, he chose not to remain. Instead, he turned to Su Yuan and stated, "Fellow Daoist Seven Stars, I wish to borrow a few Dominator Artifacts. I will settle the Chaos Jade later."

Su Yuan responded with composure, "As fellow members of the Taihao Chaos, I shall assist with this. You may borrow a complete set from the Seven Stars series. Settle the payment with Chaos Jade once you have accumulated sufficient amounts."

A grateful Taixuan Dominator replied, "Thank you!"

Su Yuan gave a slight nod and offered no further words.

Taixuan had his own unique path to follow, a decision purely his own.

"Song Cai, escort Fellow Daoist Taixuan to select a complete set of Seven Stars standard equipment, excluding the Seven Stars Armor," Su Yuan commanded.

Song Cai acknowledged the instruction with a nod and then addressed Taixuan, "Senior Taixuan, this way please!"

"Very well!" Taixuan took a deep breath, bid a final farewell to Su Yuan, Wuyazi, and the others, and vanished from the VIP room within this starry domain.

Su Yuan then instructed Li Chun, "Li Chun, take these individuals and arrange their work assignments accordingly."

"Yes, sir!" Li Chun affirmed.

Consequently, the VIP room gradually fell silent once more.

"All subsidiary matters have been concluded. Now, it is time to temper my personal will!"

Within Black Flame City, in addition to the Chaos Stele, two other significant structures under the purview of the Chaos Alliance were present: the Combat Pagoda and the Purple Vein Stone Pillar.

The Purple Vein Stone Pillar was specifically erected for the purpose of tempering one's will.

A Chaos Dominator's will exerted a crucial influence on the unfolding of battles; often, the direct clash of wills proved even more perilous than physical engagement.

Should one's will be utterly extinguished, even if the physical form remained intact, it represented true death. The obliteration of a Chaos Dominator's physical body or the destruction of their Life-bound Chaos was not fatal. Only the will constituted the genuine essence of a Chaos Dominator.

Therefore, among the three unique structures existing within Black Flame City, a dedicated space for will tempering was established.

Su Yuan materialized in the vicinity of the Purple Vein Stone Pillar.

A guardian was stationed there, barring Su Yuan's advance. "This is the Purple Vein Stone Pillar. One must expend Merit Points for tempering here. These must be Combat Merit Points. Your current balance is insufficient. Please depart!"

Upon hearing this, Su Yuan expressed surprise, "Combat Merit Points?"

"You are unaware?" The guardian's brow furrowed. "Merit Points are categorized into two types: Combat Merit Points and Non-Combat Merit Points. Combat Merit Points are acquired by slaying or assisting in the slaying of Scavengers. These points are the primary currency for all benefits and resources. Non-Combat Merit Points, such as those earned by submitting Dominator Artifacts, can be utilized for general purchases in the marketplace but are not applicable for accessing the Purple Vein Stone Pillar."

Hearing this, Su Yuan frowned. This information was entirely new to him. He hadn't anticipated that tempering one's will would necessitate Combat Merit Points, whereas something like the Chaos Stele only required Chaos Jade.

This development significantly disrupted Su Yuan's cultivation schedule.

Although he felt his will was quite robust, further refinement would undoubtedly be beneficial.

"Slaying Scavengers, understood!"

Su Yuan turned and departed.

The guardian merely cast a glance at him, then closed its eyes, reverting to its statue-like form to continue its vigil over the Purple Vein Stone Pillar.

Su Yuan vanished in a flash.

His presence disappeared from Black Flame City.

Upon reappearing, he found himself situated in the Void.

Looking down, he observed a team engaged in the siege of a "Scavenger."

It was a creature resembling a wolf, its eyes blazing with a blood-red hue, its form composed entirely of Void energy.

A total of twenty-seven Chaos Dominators were surrounding this blood wolf. When their attacks collided with the wolf's, they would neutralize each other and dissipate, as if their inherent natures were diametrically opposed.

On occasion, when the blood wolf found itself cornered, it would momentarily vanish into the Nothingness, appearing to become intangible right where it stood. During these instances, the twenty-seven Dominators would diligently spread out, encircling the direction of the blood wolf's egress. The moment it reappeared, they would converge once more, relentlessly attacking!

After a period of observation, Su Yuan discerned that the blood wolf's Power Source stemmed directly from the Nothingness itself, implying its strength was virtually boundless. Curiously, its vulnerability lay in its own will!

Every blow that successfully landed upon the blood wolf’s form would chip away at its resolve. Only by directly shattering the origin of its will could it be terminated swiftly; otherwise, a protracted attrition was the only recourse.

Despite their superior numbers, engaging a Scavenger of comparable might proved to be an arduous undertaking for the Chaos Dominators.

Under Su Yuan's watchful gaze, the prolonged engagement endured for a full three hundred years before reaching its conclusion.

At long last, the blood wolf was vanquished. Its form cascaded into a material of Dominator-grade, which the assembled team duly collected. With their objective achieved, the victors departed in high spirits.

Remaining stationary, Su Yuan meticulously processed the insights gleaned from witnessing the intense conflict. A growing sense of bewilderment concerning the nature of Scavengers began to take root within him. What precisely were these entities? And why did they 'drop' valuable materials upon their demise?

"It's time to locate a Scavenger and put these observations to the test!"

With a swift movement, he propelled himself forward.

Within the realm of "Nothingness," the passage of time held no meaning. Thus, in what felt like an instant, Su Yuan came across another Scavenger.

Approaching him through the Nothingness was a vaguely humanoid shape, its form indistinct and perpetually shifting, its boundaries as murky as riverbed silt, resembling a creature formed of sand.

"Obstinate target detected. Initiating immediate eradication protocol!"

The entity appeared to sense Su Yuan’s presence instantaneously and hurtled towards him with alarming speed!

Su Yuan remained steadfast, raising an arm to intercept the incoming assault.

The Scavenger manifested a sword forged from Nothingness and brought it down in a vicious arc!

The blade of Nothingness clashed against the True Name Armor adorning Su Yuan's arm. The invasive energy of Nothingness surged inwards, only to be systematically diminished with each passing layer.

Su Yuan deliberately permitted a sliver of the Nothingness energy to make contact with his arm.

The Nothingness energy immediately met his True Name Power, resulting in mutual annihilation and their complete disappearance.

"This form of power is truly peculiar. It harbors no trace of Chaos True Intent, yet it possesses the capability to directly obliterate Chaos Origin!"

A wave of astonishment washed over Su Yuan. Such an attack was nearly impossible to counter; if one could not evade it, the only recourse was a direct confrontation. This, he realized, underscored the paramount importance of defensive armor.

It was no wonder that the Taixuan Dominator's primary and most crucial acquisition was the Seven Stars Armor. The significance of robust protective gear was undeniably immense.

With a flick of his finger, Su Yuan launched a True Name Sword Qi. It struck the sand-like figure’s head with unerring accuracy, pierced through, and impacted its core will.

The sand person faltered for a brief moment, then dissolved into nothingness, leaving not a single remnant behind. Nevertheless, Su Yuan was credited with a substantial reward of ten billion Combat Merit Points!