The oaths they had sworn just now had already been sensed by the will of the Heavenly Dao. In the future, if they were to violate the prohibitions inscribed on the Holy Stele, not only would they suffer backlash, but even their sects would experience a drastic decline in fortune. Realizing this, all the representatives of the various sects and factions came to understand the true purpose of this Holy Assembly convened by Sacred Mountain. With the changing heavens and earth, the revival of spiritual energy, and the evolution of the Heaven and Earth’s Order, oaths sworn with one's mind and spirit had become more binding than ever before. Having sworn before the Holy Stele, if they wished to avoid divine retribution and the decline of their sects' fortunes, they not only had to abide by the decree themselves but also ensure their disciples and followers adhered to it as well. At this point, the true goal of Sacred Mountain had been achieved. The representatives of the various sects and factions exchanged looks, realizing that they had ultimately been outmaneuvered. Fortunately, the decree was one that had been collectively discussed and agreed upon. Overall, the restrictions imposed on cultivators were not too severe. For those on the righteous path, this was not a difficult rule to follow. As for conflicts between cultivators, disputes among sects, and internal affairs, Sacred Mountain had no intention of interfering. Thus, as long as they refrained from indiscriminately harming mortals, the decree would have little impact on their sects. In fact, some of the weaker sects secretly breathed a sigh of relief. At the very least, this decree would enforce some level of discipline. They would no longer have to constantly fear being ambushed and annihilated by stronger sects. With this perspective, the convening of the Holy Assembly could indeed be considered a great boon to them. Just as the representatives of the sects were deep in thought, the sky above suddenly changed once more. Beams of golden light descended from the heavens. Among them, three streaks of golden light landed upon the Three Holy Lords. Meanwhile, a much larger and more radiant golden light surged toward Sacred Mountain, disappearing into the secluded cave where Lu Qing was in closed-door cultivation. The sudden and dramatic change naturally caught everyone's attention. Among them, some well-versed cultivators immediately recognized the golden light that had enveloped the Three Holy Lords. It was none other than the legendary Light of Merit, a divine radiance that could only be condensed by those who had accumulated vast amounts of merit! "Such a dense Light of Merit!" "For it to descend at this moment…!" "The descent of Merit Light signifies that the will of the Heavenly Dao has acknowledged the contributions of the Three Holy Lords in convening this Holy Assembly!" "It is said that those who possess the Light of Merit are blessed by the heavens, able to avoid calamities and attract fortune. With such abundant Merit Light, the cultivation path of the Three Holy Lords will surely be much smoother in the future!" The gathered cultivators murmured amongst themselves, their eyes brimming with envy as they gazed at the Three Holy Lords, who were now bathed in the golden radiance. Although most had never personally witnessed the Light of Merit before, they had heard many legends about it. It was said that those who bore the Light of Merit were individuals of great virtue, naturally protected by the heavens. For ordinary people, possessing the Light of Merit granted them extraordinary luck, allowing them to avert disasters and enjoy longevity. For cultivators, it meant an unparalleled flow of fortune, an effortless cultivation path, and endless opportunities. Simply put, the benefits were immeasurable! However, despite its many advantages, Light of Merit was exceedingly difficult to obtain. Even those who spent their entire lives performing acts of great kindness might not be able to condense even a sliver of this divine light. Only those who had truly enacted deeds that greatly benefited the world and aligned with the will of the Heavenly Dao had a chance to accumulate Merit Light. Thus, seeing the Three Holy Lords receive such an overwhelming amount of Merit Light, how could the gathered cultivators not feel jealous? Yet, no matter how envious they were, they could do nothing but watch. This Holy Assembly had been initiated and presided over by the Three Holy Lords. Clearly, the will of the Heavenly Dao deemed that the merit of this event belonged to them. Since this was a decision acknowledged by the Heavenly Dao, no amount of jealousy could change it. Moreover, the Three Holy Lords were not even the ones who had received the greatest amount of merit. Moments ago, they had all witnessed a much larger and denser beam of Merit Light surge toward Sacred Mountain. It was undoubtedly meant for Lu Qing. Thus, even if they were discontent, they dared not voice their complaints. "This… is the Light of Merit?" Even the Three Holy Lords were momentarily stunned by the sudden descent of the Light of Merit. Their primary reason for convening the Holy Assembly had been to fulfill their grand oaths. They had only sought peace of mind and a breakthrough in cultivation; they had no other motives. Yet, to their shock, this event had resonated with the Heavenly Dao, prompting the descent of the Light of Merit. Joy and excitement filled their hearts. The heavens had acknowledged their actions! For them, this was the greatest form of encouragement. Meanwhile, within his cave on Sacred Mountain, Lu Qing, who had been in closed-door cultivation, was also awakened by the surge of Merit Light that descended upon him. Releasing his Divine Sense, he took a dozen breaths to fully grasp the situation. "So, the Holy Assembly has concluded, and the Holy Decree has been established with the consensus of the major sects?" "I hadn’t expected the decree to resonate with the will of the Heavenly Dao and draw down the Light of Merit…" "It seems I made the right choice in siding with the Three Holy Lords." A faint smile appeared on Lu Qing’s face as he absorbed the Merit Light, which flowed into the Brow Acupoint at the center of his forehead. The Merit Light he had received this time was far more abundant than what he had obtained in the past—when he had defeated demonic cultivators and saved an entire city of mortals. It was more than ten times greater! Clearly, the Heavenly Dao regarded the establishment of the Holy Decree as a tremendous benefit to the world. "With this, I finally have hope of condensing the Celestial Garment of Merit." Feeling the surge of Merit Light, Lu Qing was genuinely pleased. Previously, he had obtained two cultivation techniques related to the Light of Merit from a demonic cultivator. One of them allowed him to condense a Garment of Merit, which, at a critical moment, could automatically protect its wearer from spiritual attacks, curses, and divine soul techniques. The strength of this Garment of Merit depended on the concentration of Merit Light used to refine it. It was classified into three levels: Garment of Merit, Celestial Garment of Merit, and the ultimate Heavenly Garment of Merit. It was said that once the Heavenly Garment of Merit was fully formed, it could repel all evils and render the wearer impervious to all techniques! Read full story at 𝙣𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙡·𝕗𝕚𝕣𝕖·𝔫𝔢𝔱 Even primordial-level demon lords would hesitate to confront such protection. Of course, the Heavenly Garment of Merit required an astronomical amount of Merit Light, almost impossible to accumulate. Still, while that goal remained unattainable, the Celestial Garment of Merit was now within his reach, thanks to this blessing from the Heavenly Dao.