Chapter 10

Since Patriarch Subhuti decided to give special treatment to Sun Wukong, Mount Fangcun has once again returned to peace. Apart from the occasional mischief Sun Wukong would play on his fellow disciples, the mountain was filled only with the sounds of birds and insects. Although the environment was serene, staying there for too long still brought about a sense of boredom. Humans are social creatures, and Yang Zhen, in particular, felt a sense of loneliness when alone.

But no matter what, time still passed, and Mount Fangcun would not change for Yang Zhen alone.

Thus, several more years passed.

Since he began his cultivation, Yang Zhen had been taking double experience pills. However, he had initially only recharged 50,000 gold coins, and after such a long time of use, they were almost depleted.

Originally, Yang Zhen had resolved to use all his gold coins to buy double experience pills to aid his cultivation. But unexpectedly, one day two years ago, Patriarch Subhuti called Yang Zhen over. When Yang Zhen arrived at Patriarch Subhuti's residence, he found that Sun Wukong was also there, which left him somewhat puzzled.

"Master, you called me here. Is there something you need me to do?" Yang Zhen bowed and asked.

After nearly ten years of growth, Yang Zhen's body had matured, and he now looked like a 20-year-old young man. Of course, if it weren't for the two cat ears on his head, Yang Zhen would have given his appearance a perfect score.

Patriarch Subhuti nodded when he saw Yang Zhen. In fact, after years of interaction, Patriarch Subhuti had developed a liking for Yang Zhen. His talent, insight, and bone structure were all top-notch, and unlike Sun Wukong, Yang Zhen's temperament was not as impulsive. If properly cultivated, his future achievements would not be inferior to Sun Wukong's.

"You and Sun Wukong are both of the demon race, and the calamities you will face in the future will be many. To achieve success in cultivation, you will inevitably have to engage in battles. I have called you both here today to teach you the art of combat, so that in the future, you will not be at a disadvantage when facing others." Patriarch Subhuti said slowly.

"Thank you, Master." Yang Zhen and Sun Wukong were overjoyed upon hearing this.

Although Yang Zhen and Sun Wukong's current cultivation levels were decent, when it came to fighting, they would only be on the receiving end of beatings. When Sun Wukong fought the bird demon before, the main reason he could hold out for so long was that the bird demon had no proper cultivation method and lacked experience in combat. Two novices fighting each other were naturally evenly matched.

If the bird demon had been one of the powerful demons that ruled the mountains outside, Sun Wukong would have long met his end.

Therefore, Yang Zhen had long been eager to learn the combat techniques of the immortals, and Sun Wukong, being a battle enthusiast, was even more enthusiastic. Both of them put their hearts into learning the combat techniques taught by Patriarch Subhuti.

Sun Wukong seemed to have a particular fondness for staff techniques, always practicing with a staff, seemingly never tiring of it. Yang Zhen, on the other hand, preferred sword techniques, so he asked Patriarch Subhuti for a long sword and practiced diligently every day. Whenever he had the chance, he would spar with Sun Wukong, and over the two years, his sword skills improved significantly.

However, after learning the sword techniques, Yang Zhen's thoughts turned elsewhere. Looking at the skill books in the shop that increased attack, defense, evasion, and critical hit attributes, as well as the active skills for melee pets like rage, tear, and charge, Yang Zhen was filled with envy.

How I wish I could learn them! Yang Zhen shouted in his heart.

But the few remaining gold coins were the deepest pain in Yang Zhen's heart. Should he buy double experience pills or pet skill books? This was a difficult choice.

After much consideration, Yang Zhen finally made up his mind to buy the skill books.

After all, double experience pills were only temporary, while skills were permanent. With his increased lifespan, Yang Zhen had already gained several thousand years of life. As long as he spent more time, his cultivation could still improve, it was just a matter of speed.

After making his decision, Yang Zhen spent 900 gold coins to buy three passive skill books: one to increase attack, one to increase defense, and one to increase speed, all of which increased attributes by a percentage. Of course, these skills were currently at level 0, only increasing attributes by 10%, but even so, it was a significant improvement. This was evident in a later sparring match with Sun Wukong, which left Sun Wukong quite surprised. How could he have improved so much in just a few days?

However, after learning the skills, the gold coins were almost depleted. In less than a year, Yang Zhen would be penniless. Looking at the "Recharge" button on the screen, Yang Zhen felt particularly frustrated. In this mythological world, where could he find RMB or online banking?

He clicked on the "Recharge" button, knowing it would be ineffective, but deep down, he still hoped for a miracle. Perhaps just one click would instantly recharge millions of gold coins...

"Would you like to convert merit into gold coins?"

This is...

Yang Zhen was excited. So merit is gold coins. Yay! In that case, I just need to work hard to accumulate merit. I must insist on doing good deeds every day, and eventually, I will learn those skills.

He then clicked "Confirm." Originally, Yang Zhen had no high hopes, but to his surprise, 500 gold coins were actually recharged. What's going on? Do I still have merit? Although he didn't know how much merit was needed to recharge 500 gold coins, he could confirm that he had indeed possessed a small amount of merit before.

Recalling his experiences over the past dozen years, Yang Zhen realized that apart from saving a few humans from being slaughtered by demons during his search for the Dao, he hadn't done any other good deeds. It seems the merit he accumulated over those six years was the source. Thinking about the humans he had saved over those six years, the number must have exceeded five digits. Saving so many people, and only getting 500 gold coins, is really too stingy.

Actually, thinking about it, since humans were recognized by the Heavenly Dao as the main characters of the world, any action that benefited humans would grant some merit. This is why so many gods, immortals, and Buddhas promoted themselves among humans, hoping that humans would build temples for them. It was all for the sake of merit.

Even the great sects like the Human Sect, the Enlightenment Sect, the截教 (Jie Sect), and the Buddhist Sect competed to spread their teachings among humans, as the benefits were numerous. This is merit, something even the sages covet, let alone ordinary cultivators.

It seems I need to find ways to accumulate merit in the future. This is crucial for improving my strength and cannot be taken lightly.

But at least, Yang Zhen had found a way to recharge gold coins. Although accumulating merit is not easy, it is at least a method.