Chapter 331: Borrowing Merit

"What's wrong with me?"

Yuan Feng felt somewhat panicked; she even didn't understand her own words and actions just now.

She gave her own spiritual treasure to a stranger, only hoping that he would often come over to keep her company.

In the past, a single seclusion could last tens of thousands of years for her; now, just a glance at him makes her want him to be constantly by her side.

"How could this be? Could this be the influence of karmic debt?"

Yuan Feng felt doubtful.

But no one could explain it to her.

"Actually, I can really save you out of here!"

Just then, Ao Yifan spoke again.

Upon hearing this, Yuan Feng looked at Ao Yifan with a resentful expression, thinking, 'Could it be that he doesn't want to come here to keep me company and is deceiving me with lies?'

"Forget it, I'll just say it straight!"

Ao Yifan shook his head and said, 'The reason you are forced to bind yourself here is due to the karmic debt produced by the Three Clans' great calamity, but karmic debt can be offset by the power of merit.'

"Not bad!"

Yuan Feng nodded and said, 'Our Phoenix Clan's karmic debt can indeed be offset by merit, but I, having incarnated as the Vermilion Bird and guarded the Southern Immortal Flame Volcano for countless ages, have gained only a minuscule amount of merit; obtaining merit is truly difficult!'

At that moment, Jiutian Xuannü also nodded in agreement, saying, 'Indeed, merit is hard to come by; even His Majesty Haotian, who reopened the Heavenly Court, didn't give it much thought, let alone making up for the Phoenix Clan's immense karmic debt!'

After all, having once been involved in the Heavenly Court's affairs, Jiutian Xuannü understands this merit system very well.

"According to common sense, that's indeed the case!"

Ao Yifan smiled and said, 'However, I recently thought of a way to obtain merit, and moreover, a way to obtain vast amounts of merit.'

"Huh?"

Upon hearing this, both women looked at him with curious expressions.

Facing the gaze of the two women, Ao Yifan said, 'The method is simple: borrow merit!'

"Borrow?"

Yuan Feng looked puzzled and said, 'Merit is hard to come by and is of great use; who would be willing to lend their merit to others?'

"Yes, husband, merit is intimately tied to oneself; even if one wanted to borrow, it would be very troublesome."

Jiutian Xuannü said.

"Borrowing merit is indeed somewhat troublesome, but what if that person's children willingly lend their merit to her?"

Ao Yifan said.

"This..."

Jiutian Xuannü's eyes flickered slightly, as if she had thought of something.

"Husband, could it be that you're thinking..."

Secretly thinking this, Jiutian Xuannü looked at Yuan Feng, who still looked clueless.

The next moment, Ao Yifan told Yuan Feng his plan.

That is, he could sacrifice a bit, help Yuan Feng give birth to a child, then use the power of Time Law to draw the child's future merit to offset Yuan Feng's karmic debt.

"That's impossible!"

Yuan Feng was the first to express disbelief.

She didn't doubt the method of using Time Law to extract future merit; she doubted that Ao Yifan could help her bear a child.

When our Three Clans were at their peak, our numbers were not large either, because it is extremely difficult for members of the Three Clans to bear offspring; I know you mean well, but you need not waste your energy on me.

Yuan Feng said.

"This, Elder Sister Yuan Feng, actually, you needn't worry about this; I dare not say anything else, but my husband is professional when it comes to bearing children."

Jiutian Xuannü said.

"Professional?"

Yuan Feng didn't understand.

Although she already had two children, those were conceived after the great calamity through her sensing of yin and yang energies, not through normal reproduction.

As the leader of the Phoenix Clan, she naturally knows how difficult it is for the Three Clans to bear offspring.

Sometimes, even after a thousand years, success is not guaranteed.

Moreover, to offset her karmic debt, a vast amount of merit is needed to fill it.

One or two children are clearly not enough; does he really have this capability?

"Fellow Daoist Yuan Feng, in fact, you have no other choice, right?"

Ao Yifan slowly flew over and gazed directly into her beautiful eyes.

"Why not give it a try? Then you'll know whether I'm telling the truth or not."

Upon hearing this, Yuan Feng felt moved; the image of Ao Yifan grew deeper in her heart.

"He, actually willing to sacrifice so much for me—what is he really after? A single spiritual treasure's kindness is not enough!"

"No delay, Xuannü, you help me protect the law while I help Yuan Feng conceive a child!"

Ao Yifan said.

"Protect the law?"

Jiutian Xuannü blinked slightly, then seemed to think of something, her face turning a faint red.

"..."

"Ding—congratulations, host, for successfully helping Yuan Feng conceive a child; reward: cultivation increased by 500,000 years, reward: Supreme Merit Treasure, Phoenix Boat!"

Hearing the reward in his mind, Ao Yifan curled the corner of his mouth into a smile.

After all, this was his first time obtaining a Supreme Merit Treasure.

Phoenix Boat, a supreme treasure formed from the condensed merit and qi luck of the Phoenix Clan; as long as the Phoenix Clan endures, the Phoenix Boat lasts forever.

Before the Phoenix Boat, myriad phoenixes submit.

"I don't know, the next time I step on the Phoenix Clan and appear before Kong Xuan, what expression will that young lady have?"

Ao Yifan began to feel some anticipation.

And in his embrace, Yuan Feng was now so excited that she trembled slightly.

"It actually succeeded!"

She, who had once nurtured Kong Xuan and the Golden-Winged Great Peng, was very familiar with this feeling.

In her womb, there truly was a Phoenix Clan aura beginning to gestate.

"I will now borrow the future merit of our child for you, but exactly how much depends on our child's future performance."

Ao Yifan held Yuan Feng and said.

Upon hearing "our child," Yuan Feng's heart unexpectedly felt a hint of sweetness.

This feeling of mutual support, she had never experienced even with Kong Xuan, let alone that unfilial son, the Golden-Winged Great Peng.

(Kong Xuan: Then I should leave?)

"Mm."

She lightly nodded, and Yuan Feng leaned into Ao Yifan's embrace.

Beside them, Jiutian Xuan Nu did not know what she was feeling.

Is this person before her still the Phoenix Clan Chief she once admired?

Such a little maiden's demeanor is exactly like that of her close sister, Princess Longji.

The collapse of her idol image left Jiutian Xuan Nu unable to accept it for a moment.

However, at this moment neither Ao Yifan nor Yuan Feng had the mood to consider Jiutian Xuan Nu's thoughts.

Using the power of temporal law, Ao Yifan easily located the child in Yuan Feng's womb within the river of time.

"Father, I know your purpose; I have accumulated merit that I have not used—take it to help Mother escape her predicament!"

It is obvious that Ao Yifan and Yuan Feng's first child is a filial one; without Ao Yifan even needing to speak, he sent over all of his merit.

Looking at the golden aura in his palm, Ao Yifan nodded in satisfaction.

"It's actually this much!"

Yuan Feng was greatly startled; she, who needed vast merit to offset her own karmic obstacles, naturally understood how precious this clump of merit in Ao Yifan's hand was.

"Alas, the child has suffered!"

Yuan Feng did not know what had happened in the future, nor how her child could have accumulated so much merit.

However, this clump of merit already equals what she accumulated over ten thousand years of suppressing the Undying Volcano; one can imagine the hardship involved.