Chapter 700: The Correct Way to Gather Karma

A few minutes later.

The vast Donghai City had miraculously restored its original bustling and vibrant appearance!

That previous catastrophic disaster was nothing more than a nightmare!

"Th… What is going on?"

"My leg… My leg can move!"

"The houses! Look at those houses! They grew back by themselves!"

Countless waking commoners dazedly crawled up from the ground, looking in disbelief at the undamaged city around them.

Then, it was unknown who first raised their head and exclaimed:

"Quick, look! There is someone on the city wall!"

Swish, swish, swish!

Countless gazes simultaneously converged onto the city wall of Donghai City.

Under the illumination of the sunlight, that elderly man draped in a wide Taoist robe, with white hair and beard, and his entire body faintly radiating sacred golden light, like a True Immortal stepping out of myth and descending into the world, quietly overlooked all living beings.

"It… It is that old Immortal who saved us!"

"An Immortal has descended to the mortal world! The heavens have opened their eyes!"

No one organized it, and no one forced it.

Thud! Thud!

On the streets and in the squares, countless commoners who had escaped death and felt gratitude in their hearts knelt down on both knees one after another, bowing in utmost reverence toward the Immortal-like elderly man on the city wall!

In their gazes, there was unprecedented piety and fanaticism.

Meanwhile, Zhou Huai, standing on the city wall, looked at the densely packed kneeling crowd below, and a long-absent prompt tone sounded in his mind:

[Ding! Massive living beings' faith perceived, obtained Karma value: 10 points…]

[Ding! Massive living beings' faith perceived, obtained Karma value: 50 points…]

[Ding! …]

Listening to those continuous, rainstorm-like prompt tones, and watching the hundreds of thousands of Karma values on the panel start skyrocketing upwards again.

Zhou Huai smiled extremely brightly.

This wave truly achieved Karma Perfection!

However, what surprised Zhou Huai even more was that this wave of Karma value rewards did not end after Li Er finished saving the entire city's people.

A steady stream of Karma values was still refreshing in his backend.

It was just that compared to the massive fortune from the previous one-off deal, these rewards were much smaller.

[Ding! Living beings' faith perceived, obtained Karma value: 325 points…]

[Ding! Living beings' faith perceived, obtained Karma value: 88 points…]

[Ding! Living beings' faith perceived, obtained Karma value: 7 points…]

Each time it was only anywhere from a few hundred to a few tens of points, and there were even single-digit numbers.

But its advantage lay in being continuous, accumulating little by little, like an inexhaustible stream silently nurturing his dried-up Karma pool.

Zhou Huai suddenly had an epiphany in his heart.

"Could it be…"

"As long as the feelings of gratitude towards me in the hearts of those saved by me have not completely dissipated, can they continuously provide me with Karma values?"

As soon as this thought came out, it was like a flash of lightning piercing through the fog in Zhou Huai's mind.

"I understand! This is the correct way for Li Er to acquire Karma values!"

Previously, he always thought that the main source of Karma values was major events acting on behalf of Heaven, such as suppressing the Ancient Remnant Clan and killing the Human Emperor.

But now it seemed those were merely huge bonuses occasionally issued by the System.

The truly stable and long-term source of income should be this purest gratitude and faith from the general public!

"In the past, I went off track…!"

Zhou Huai couldn't help laughing at himself with self-mockery.

Previously, he was still thinking about how to grind monsters and do quests to earn Karma, little knowing that the largest gold mine was buried in the hearts of these ordinary people he had saved in passing.

Having figured this point out, brilliance unprecedented flickered in Zhou Huai's eyes.

"Since that's the case, I must strike while the iron is hot and drive the roots of this faith even deeper!"

Without hesitation, he immediately manipulated Li Er to use a level 5 skill.

Manifesting Sainthood Before Others!

Hum——!

Along with a movement of Zhou Huai's mind, above Donghai City, that vault of heaven that had just recovered its clarity saw winds and clouds rising again!

Above the cloudless blue sky, tens of thousands of rays of colorful glow blossomed out of thin air!

Within the rosy glow, a gigantic towering phantom slowly condensed and formed!

That phantom was precisely the appearance of the Great Sage Li Er!

Possessing an Immortal's air and bones, with white hair and beard, draped in an archaic long robe, eyes slightly closed, expression compassionate yet majestic, his entire body was surrounded by visible golden runes condensed from the ultimate truths of heaven and earth.

"Good heavens! What is that?!"

"It… It is that old Immortal who just saved us!"

"An Immortal! An Immortal has appeared again!"

Within Donghai City, the tens of millions of commoners who had just recovered their wits from the joy of surviving a catastrophe were once again shocked by this miracle-like scene.

They stopped everything in their hands one after another, rushed out of their homes, raised their heads, and gazed with a fanatical look bordering on obsession at the giant phantom in the sky that resembled a creator deity.

Right at this moment, a benevolent, majestic voice that seemed to contain all principles between heaven and earth descended from the Nine Heavens, clearly echoing in the ears of every single person.

"All living beings suffer, and I cannot bear to see it."

"My name is Dao Ancestor."

"Today, sensing this city's calamity, I have come specially to assist."

That voice seemed to carry a strange magic, making everyone who heard it feel an unprecedented peace and serenity in their hearts.

The phantom continued to speak, its voice solemn and grand:

"The Heavenly Dao moves in cycles; good and evil are rewarded accordingly. You all must remember to harbor kind thoughts and perform more good deeds, only then can you stay away from disasters and have long-lasting blessings."

"From now on, this Donghai City shall be under my protection."

"If you encounter perils that you are unable to resist once more, you need only hold piety in your hearts and pray to my name…"

"I will naturally appear."

The moment the voice fell, Li Er's phantom slowly raised its right hand and gently waved it toward the vicissitude-weathered city below.

Patter, patter—!

In an instant, sweet dew descended from the heavens!

Countless raindrops twinkling with specks of golden light fell from the sky, gently showering every corner of Donghai City.

"This rain… so comfortable…"

A Professional with a broken arm instinctively stretched out his intact hand to catch the rainwater.

The instant those golden raindrops landed on his palm, a warm and majestic life energy instantly surged into his limbs and bones!

He only felt his whole body tremble, as if soaking in a hot spring, every cell cheering and leaping with joy.

What made him feel even more incredible was that a tingling itchiness came from the wound of his severed arm.

He lowered his head to look, only to see that terrifying wound healing, scabbing, and shedding at a speed visible to the naked eye, revealing newborn, tender pink skin!

Even the old ailment left behind on the battlefield years ago, which would ache faintly whenever it rained or was cloudy, seemed to be completely eradicated at this moment, and he could no longer feel the slightest bit of discomfort!

"Good heavens… My old injury… It's healed! Completely healed!"

This Professional was so moved that tears welled up in his eyes; he knelt down on the spot, using all his strength to kowtow a loud head-knock toward the phantom in the sky!

Miracles like this were unfolding in every corner of the city.

Everyone moistened by the rainwater felt refreshed and invigorated, their fatigue completely dissipated.

If ordinary people were already like this, the feelings of those Professionals were even more intuitive and shocking.

They could clearly feel that their bodies were being washed by a gentle yet domineering force. Not only their injuries, but even the hidden injuries accumulated within their bodies over the years due to excessive fighting were being repaired and smoothed out bit by bit under the nourishment of this sweet dew!