Chapter 497: Merit Golden Wheel and the Sky‑Theft Plot Mission

【...】

Xiao Ai's shell cracked; it found that it could not argue back.

From the perspective of the Primordial Immortal Realm, Gu Yuan's actions objectively had a purifying effect.

Gu Yuan gave it no time to think and kept asking, "Let me ask again: now, this entire Blood Moon Netherworld, together with that drop of 【Source-Extinguishing Ancestral Poison】—aside from the portion thrown to the Primordial Immortal Realm, there's a little left with me—does that count as the most thorough seizure?"

【...】

Gu Yuan spread his hands and, in an entirely matter‑of‑fact tone, summed up, "You see, I have both purified the Primordial Immortal Realm and seized the Blood Moon Netherworld. In a single mission I fulfilled two options, so I completed the mission, and even over‑fulfilled it. Any problem?"

【...】

This time, the system's silence lasted even longer.

Gu Yuan didn't press it, just waited quietly.

He knew well that this version‑3.0 system already possessed a rudimentary humanity, could weigh pros and cons, and understood bargaining.

It isn't silent because it's crashed; it's calculating gains and losses, or rather figuring out how to fudge its way through.

Sure enough, a moment later Xiao Ai's voice sounded again.

【Dear Host, your logic is… hmm, very novel, but according to the system's highest regulations, the same mission cannot be rewarded twice. However, given that you performed exceptionally on this mission, Xiao Ai can make an exception and upgrade your reward!】

【Task 1 reward will be upgraded from 【Source-Extinguishing Power Original Seed】 to…【Merit Golden Wheel】!】

Gu Yuan listened and smiled.

"You mean I could only choose the seed originally, and now you're upgrading it for me, resulting in a Merit Golden Wheel?"

【Yes, because the value of the 【Merit Golden Wheel】 far exceeds that of the 【Source-Extinguishing Power Original Seed】, okay~】 Xiao Ai's voice was filled with sincere "I'm looking out for you" concern.

"Is that so?"

Gu Yuan's tone was loaded with meaning, "But why do I feel you upgraded me to the Merit Golden Wheel not because it's valuable, but because… you simply don't have the 【Source-Extinguishing Power Original Seed】, right?"

【...!】

This time, the system didn't stay silent; it emitted an extremely faint static noise.

It lasted only an instant, but Gu Yuan's keen ears caught it.

"Let me guess."

Gu Yuan calmly analyzed, "The Source-Extinguishing Power is Zang Tian Ge, or rather, the core force of that 'Lord', the thing that stands in absolute opposition to the power behind you.

Your database contains intel on it, even a way to suppress it, such as the 【Merit Golden Wheel】, but you could never possess its original seed."

Gu Yuan's voice was very calm, as if he were merely telling a story.

The system gave no reply.

Unclear whether it was pondering or something else.

Immediately after, Xiao Ai's delicate voice vanished completely.

In its place was a cold, dry, utterly emotionless mechanical tone.

【... Determining task rewards...】

【Determination complete.】

【Task 1: Secretly Penetrate Chen Cang. Completion: Perfect. Reward: one 【Merit Golden Wheel】.】

【Task 2: Guide the Right Path. Completion: Perfect. Reward: 【Great Dao Furnace】 (Fragment ×3) Heaven‑Deceiving Cloak (already advanced).】

A dazzling, radiant golden wheel, as if forged from countless merits, materialized out of thin air before Gu Yuan.

Gu Yuan stared at the wheel, then glanced at the system in front of him that didn't even bother to disguise itself and bluntly forced the reward allocation, and couldn't help but laugh.

This system was becoming increasingly interesting.

He stopped teasing Xiao Ai and turned his gaze to the last line of the task list.

【Final Task: Sky‑Theft Plot.】

【Description: Seize or amend the Heavenly Dao Law of the 'Eleventh Land', and in the 'Eleventh Land', forge your divine throne.】

"Now, it's time to finish the last task."

Gu Yuan extended his hand; the 【Merit Golden Wheel】 emitted a hum and instantly merged into his palm.

The next moment, he took a step forward and plunged straight into the Blood Moon Netherworld below, a realm wrapped by World Tree Roots.

Boom!

At the instant Gu Yuan entered, the Heavenly Dao of the Blood Moon Netherworld—already shattered and suffused with dead silence and decay—seemed to sense a mortal threat and jolted awake!

"Roar—!"

A roar unlike any living creature, filled with endless venomous resentment and madness, echoed from the deep core of the Blood Moon Netherworld.

Immediately thereafter, the entire continent began to quake violently.

Above the Heavenly Dome, the scarlet Blood Moon blazed, and dark‑red law chains, like poisonous serpents, shot out from the moon, coiling toward Gu Yuan.

Simultaneously, countless graves on the earth exploded; skeletal remains, dead for countless years, ignited with eerie green ghost‑flames in their eyes, crawled out from the ground, merging into a torrent of bones that surged toward Gu Yuan's position.

This was the Blood Moon Netherworld's final counter‑strike.

It was the polluted Heavenly Dao's most venomous curse, unleashed before its total demise.

Yet Gu Yuan watched the apocalyptic scene with not a flicker of emotion on his face.

"Even the Rice Grain Pearl emits radiance?"

He simply lifted his right hand, the one fused with the 【Merit Golden Wheel】, slowly.

Buzz—

A soft, sacred golden aura, centered on his palm, rippled outward like water.

Where the aura passed.

The terrifying law chains, as if meeting their nemesis, instantly melted and shattered into pure Law Fragments.

The fearless bone torrent, upon touching the golden light, had its resentment and ghost‑flames instantly purified; each skeleton halted its charge, knelt slowly toward Gu Yuan's direction as if thanking him for deliverance, then dissolved into countless specks of light, fading into the world.

Even the scarlet blood moon above the Heavenly Dome, which gave off an ominous aura, under the golden light's illumination, its dark red hue also began to fade at a speed visible to the naked eye, gradually returning to its original pure color.

"【Merit Golden Wheel】, it is a reward from the Heavenly Dao, formed from the vow power of all beings, and is the natural nemesis of all negative, filthy, and resentful forces."

Used to deal with this Heavenly Dao already corrupted to the point of being riddled with holes, it is practically a dimensional strike.

"Howl…"

Deep in the earth's core, that unwilling roar became increasingly feeble.

Gu Yuan did not stop; his figure flickered, and he directly pierced through layer after layer of earth, arriving at the core of the Blood Moon Netherworld.

Here lies a lake formed from a viscous dark-purple liquid.

At the lake's center, a mass of black flesh, constantly writhing, formed from countless grudges and broken laws, is emitting its final wail.

This is the core of the Heavenly Dao after the Blood Moon Netherworld has been polluted.