Eternal Life through Drawing Lots

The currency used within the Thunder Saint Academy was an item called "Merit Points."

In Fang Yang’s eyes, these Merit Points were like a unified system for merits of all sizes.

The fundamental reason Merit Points existed was that all students admitted to the Thunder Saint Academy came from extraordinary backgrounds.

For the most part, these students were the prodigies of the major Golden Clans. They certainly didn’t lack for Yuan Stones.

However, to foster a fiercely competitive atmosphere, the special currency of Merit Points was introduced.

Within the Thunder Saint Academy, everything from daily life and cultivation to recreation involved Merit Points.

As long as you remained in the Thunder Saint Academy, you could not do without Merit Points.

Merit Points were acquired by completing a series of missions.

Alternatively, if you earned a spot on the Celestial, Earth, or Human Rankings, you would naturally acquire Merit Points just for being on the list!

With enough Merit Points, it might even be possible to travel to Longevity Heaven and study the Thunder Saint Venerable’s Venerable Scripture.

Of course, to accomplish that, you would have to do something on the level of saving the entire Thunder Saint Academy.

In short, Merit Points were extremely difficult to obtain.

This was especially true for Fang Yang, who was currently inhabiting the body of Fang Nian.

However...

"Yuanyuan, I’m out of Merit Points. Could you lend me another hundred?"

"Yuanyuan, I’ve spent all my Merit Points again. Can you lend me two hundred more?"

"Yuanyuan, you look so beautiful today, even prettier than the Rose Fairy. So, about lending me another five hundred Merit Points..."

In the past, the judgmental stares of others had made Fang Nian want to be self-reliant after arriving at the Thunder Saint Academy.

But now, Fang Yang, in the guise of Fang Nian, was relentlessly hitting up Sen Yuanyuan for Merit Points.

He used them to cultivate various Secret Techniques or to reach different Wondrous Realms and comprehend Mystical Skills.

His behavior quickly caused an uproar among some of the students at the Thunder Saint Academy.

After all, which of the scions from the Golden Clans who made it to the Thunder Saint Academy wasn’t a top-tier prodigy?

Forget arrogance; at the very least, they all had an unbending sense of pride.

And yet, Fang Yang’s current behavior left them utterly speechless, ashamed to even be associated with him!

Zhang Chi fumed, "That guy is completely shameless! He’s a total disgrace to us scions of the Changkong clan!"

"Yeah, a total disgrace to the Changkong clan," Qing Zhao said, a distant look on his face. ’But why am I so envious of him?’

"Shut up, or I’ll punch you," Zhang Chi said, his eyes red with anger. Who wouldn’t want Merit Points to just fall into their lap?

Behavior like Fang Yang’s instantly caught the attention of Muri Xining and her circle.

The sky was a brilliant blue, the clouds pristine white.

It was a picturesque scene of perfect tranquility, enough to make anyone want to linger forever.

Just then, Muri Xining’s best friend gazed at Fang Yang’s departing back and murmured, "Xining, I can’t shake the feeling that this guy came here with a plan."

Muri Xining’s delicate nose twitched. She snorted in disdain. "Him? He isn’t even ranked last on the Human Ranking. What right does he have to challenge me? You’re overthinking things."

Each of the Celestial, Earth, and Human Rankings listed one hundred people, effectively making them top 100 lists.

If Fang Yang wanted to succeed in his Dream Dao trial, he first had to make it onto one of the top 100 rankings. Only then could he even think about defeating Muri Xining and Murong Chengfeng!

Fang Yang had become very clear about all these intricacies during his time in the dreamscape.

That was why he was so relentlessly asking Sen Yuanyuan for Merit Points in the dreamscape.

「In the real world.」

「The territory of the Changkong clan.」

The Vast Sun grew ever more scorching, searing the earth below.

The Saint ancestor of the Cyan Aura lineage was currently gazing up at the Vast Sun.

His name was Qing Zhao.

Perhaps it was the conflict between Cyan Aura and Fang Yang, but Saint Qing Zhao suddenly found himself thinking of his old friend, Fang Nian.

After a moment, he sighed. "Brother Fang, your ambition was too grand.

"Sacred Bodies like ours—Grade A—have always been fundamentally flawed, unable to compare to those of the perfect grade.

"Aside from the Bliss Demon Venerable, who used a grand technique to defy his innate limitations, no one has ever reached the level of a Tier Eight Great Saint with a Grade-A Sacred Body.

"With such a flawed foundation, how could we possibly attain an immortal body?

"Besides, given our origins, reaching the Tier Seven realm was already a blessing from the heavens.

"However, your descendant, Fang Yang, is following in your footsteps.

"And he seems to have gained new insights; it looks like he might be able to forge his own path.

"Of course, the Sen clan is still watching you all as well."

After these reflections, Qing Zhao felt the frailty of his own body and saw his flame of life flickering, on the verge of being extinguished.

A wave of regret suddenly washed over him.

He wouldn’t live for much longer.

When he heard the shocking news of Fang Nian’s death during his tribulation, he had hastily halted his own attempt to break through to the Tier Eight realm, choosing instead to eke out his remaining years.

’Perhaps, if I had continued, there might have been a slim chance of success? Could I have become the second Bliss Demon Venerable?’

But he immediately snuffed out the thought.

A Venerable was a Venerable precisely because they shattered one impossibility after another, achieving feats that left the world in awe and terror.

’Even Fang Nian failed. If I took that risk, I would only be meeting the same fate!’

...

「The Bloodline Dream.」 𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂

「Saint Fire Divine Realm.」

The Saint Fire Divine Realm was a Fire Dao Grotto Heaven, a small pocket world left behind by a Tier Eight Great Saint.

Within it were eighty-one layers of Fire Domain Wondrous Realms.

Countless Fire Beasts lived within each of these Wondrous Realms.

Due to the unique nature of the flames here, many students and even Saint-level instructors from the Thunder Saint Academy came here to practice Alchemy and Artifact Refining.

This place was practically a sacred ground for Fire Dao Practitioners!

But for this very reason, the Merit Point cost to enter the Saint Fire Divine Realm was prohibitively expensive, far beyond what an ordinary student of the Thunder Saint Academy could afford.

Typically, only students on the Celestial and Earth Rankings had enough spare Merit Points to enter.

But today, a student who had yet to even make it onto the Human Ranking arrived at this place.

’Saint Fire Divine Realm?’

Fang Yang stood outside the entrance, his gaze profound. ’I hope this place has some surprises for me.’

He then strode forward, heading toward the first Fire Dao Wondrous Realm.

After passing through a cyan curtain of light, a volcanic world belching black smoke instantly materialized before Fang Yang.

Here, Molten Crocodiles formed from cyan flames raised their heads to gaze at Fang Yang.

When they saw Fang Yang continue to advance, intending to head to the second Fire Realm, the pack of Molten Crocodiles roared.

They burst from the magma and charged straight for Fang Yang.

[State of Profound Mystery]

Wielding a long spear, Fang Yang dispatched his enemies with ease.

At the same time, he activated the State of Profound Mystery to deepen his comprehension of the Fire Dao.

’Why the Fire Dao first, and not the Thunder Dao?’

This was because his understanding of the Fire Eagle form was far deeper than that of the Thunder Carp form.

Besides, his proficiency in the Fire Dao was already very close to the Fire Dao Master Level.

Once he broke through to the Fire Dao Master Level here and word got out, he would without a doubt enter the top 100 of the Human Ranking!

"HUMMM..."

"HUMMM... HUMMM..."

In the real world, Fang Yang’s [Carp Eagle Divine Feather] pulsed with divine light, providing the energy needed to maintain his State of Profound Mystery.

During this process, Fang Yang, who was still in the bloodline dream, simultaneously slew Fire Beasts and comprehended the Mysteries of Fire Dao.

The realms of proficiency in a school, from lowest to highest, were: None, Ordinary, Master, Grandmaster, and so on.

The most obvious characteristic of the Master Level was the ability to develop an intuition for the school itself.

In other words, one could fully utilize the power of that discipline!

By the time Fang Yang fought his way to the Ninth Layer of the Fire Realm, a lifelike Fire Eagle was soaring high beside him!

This Fire Eagle was formed entirely from the flames of this realm.

This was a technique for materializing objects from fire, a sign that he could now fully unleash the power of the Fire Dao School.

Fire Dao Master!

’A little cheating doesn’t count.’

Fang Yang remained expressionless and continued to press forward.

Unfortunately, the further he advanced, the more demanding the strength requirements became.

No matter how incredible the State of Profound Mystery—a true technique from a Venerable—was, it was ultimately limited by its master’s strength and had to be temporarily suppressed.

But...

Those who were already watching him were stunned.

His notoriety had already spread far and wide due to his shameless freeloading.

Now, this was like pouring oil on the fire, taking his infamy to a whole new level!

"He became a Fire Dao Master just like that?"

"That’s outrageous! A guy like him actually has potential?"

"Ah, I feel it! This is the power of love! You brutes just wouldn’t understand..."

The crowd was utterly shocked, finding the situation completely absurd.

A person who could reach the Master realm in a discipline while only at the Tier Three Advanced level shouldn’t, by any measure, be a man without a shred of pride.

And yet, the reality was right before their eyes.

"That’s wonderful, Fang," Sen Yuanyuan said, gazing at the eighty-fifth name on the Human Ranking.

Her beloved’s name had appeared right there.

At that moment, her heart swelled with gratification.

Qing Zhao was dumbfounded. "That actually worked?"

"Damn it, damn it, damn it," Zhang Chi privately gnashed his teeth.

But Fang Yang met all these reactions with nothing more than a calm smile.

The three-month period in the dream was only half a month in.

He was confident he could navigate this dream smoothly and obtain the Tier Six opportunity.

After all, a little cheating doesn’t count!