Chapter 90: The Great Realm?
Wei Yuan pointed at the line referring to the young chieftain and asked, “Why is his head so valuable?”
The Daoist flipped through his booklet and answered, “According to the rules, an ordinary Dao Foundation cultivator is worth a hundred merits. This base is doubled for every tier above it—Earth, Heaven, and Immortal—and it is further doubled for each stage of the Dao Foundation stage—foundation consolidating, vitality restoring, and spirit nurturing. This young chieftain is a Heaven-tier Dao Foundation, and he has reached the spirit nurturing stage. Thus, his worth is equal to the base value multiplied by thirty-two, or thirty-two hundred merits.”
Wei Yuan sighed internally when he heard this: If only he has more than one head….
The Daoist closed the booklet and said smilingly, “Barring any accidents, Kanbida was destined to become an Avatar. Thirty thousand immortal silver for the life of a future Avatar is a worthwhile trade, if I do say so myself.”
Wei Yuan threw out another question, “Why is provoking an internal dispute worth so many merits?”
“It is a bigger matter than you think. The entire war situation has changed because of it. After due consideration, the Truemen decided to award you two thousand merits for this deed.”
The Palace of Absolute Beginning had implemented the merit system for several thousand years. It would not be an exaggeration to say that they had encountered practically every situation. In Wei Yuan’s generation, the system had been perfected to the point where all kinds of factors had been taken into consideration. Fair evaluation of one’s merits had formed the very foundation upon which the Palace was established. This was why the reigning Immortal Lords had personally overseen its administration throughout the generations, disallowing even the slightest falsifications from occurring.
After Wei Yuan confirmed all of the merits, the Daoist put away the jade paper and handed him a different booklet. He explained, “This is the merits ranking for this major exam. Everyone’s merits are listed on it. The ranking is updated once every week. However, the booklet only updates itself when it is within a thousand li of the entrance gate. Beyond that, nothing will happen.
“It’s also the overall merit ranking for the Dao Foundation stage. It will activate on its own when we return to the entrance gate.”