The dimly lit room reeked of stale energy drinks and unwashed laundry, the only light coming from the dual monitors casting a harsh blue glow on the guy's chubby face. Pimples dotted his cheeks like forgotten constellations, and his eyes—bloodshot with dark bags hanging beneath them from countless sleepless nights—darted across the screen. He slouched in his creaky gaming chair, one hand still idly adjusting his boxers after the interrupted session, the other hovering over the keyboard. On the left monitor, the porn video had paused mid-scene, the actress frozen in an over-the-top expression of bliss that now seemed mocking in the silence. The right screen buzzed with the chat group's relentless activity, a random Discord-like server he'd stumbled into from his feed, drawn by the intriguing name: "Eternal Dao of Dual Cultivation."
The chat scrolled with fervent messages, each one dripping with archaic formality, like they'd all escaped from some forgotten xianxia novel.
Heavenly Dragon: Haha, thank you very much, Master. Because of you, I could finally satisfy my wife with the forbidden knowledge Your Grace shared. I feel proud to walk the layers nowadays. Truly, thank you.
Celestial Emperor: Yes, that happened to me as well. I was like that too, but because of His Grace, the Master's forbidden knowledge, I can make any woman kneel before me.
More messages flooded in, each one more elaborate than the last. The guy, still half-aroused and smirking at the absurdity, thought to himself, *Fuck, I just shared some porn tips I picked up from videos. What's with their tone? They always talk like that—like cosplayers. It seems like everyone in this group speaks the same way.* He typed quickly, his fingers sticky from sweat.
Master: Haha, that's nothing special, guys. Just sharing what I know 😅
Almost instantly, the responses poured in like a digital avalanche.
King of Krosin: Your humility is truly that of a transcendent being, Master. If the karmic threads ever guide Your divine avatar to the realm of Krosin, this lowly king shall prepare the finest spirit wine and the most obedient attendants for Your arrival.
Saint of Simara: King Krosin speaks wisely, yet he forgets—the first audience belongs to Simara. Master, my sacred springs are already warming in anticipation. No mortal coil could compare to the grace of hosting Your presence.
Void Sovereign: Both of you are delusional. The Master's yang essence clearly resonates strongest with the abyssal qi of the thirty-third layer. Master… when will You descend to inspect this one's newly condensed Yin-devouring formation? 🖤
Heavenly Dragon: Brothers, please show some restraint. The Master is cultivating right now. We shouldn't disturb His dual-cultivation session.
The guy stared at the flood, his hand freezing mid-motion. He sat there, half-hard and half-numb with confusion, blinking slowly as his arousal faded into bewilderment. "…What the actual fuck is wrong with these people?" he muttered, his voice hoarse from disuse.
He scrolled up, the chat history a monolithic wall of reverence: "Bestowed upon this junior," "This one kowtows in gratitude," "May Master's dao heart remain unshaken," "Your servant offers her three holes, nine orifices, seventeen layers of virginity," "This disciple has already tattooed Master's title on her dantian."
Leaning back, the chair groaned under his weight. The paused porn glared back at him, ridiculous and forgotten. He whispered to the empty room, "I literally just copy-pasted the titles from that one 47-minute 'How to make her squirt in 90 seconds' video… and now I'm apparently the messiah of pussy."
Another ping shattered the quiet.
Celestial Empress Łucíferą: @Master, this lowly empress has carved Your username into her inner palace wall with her own immortal blood. When may I present it for Your inspection, oh supreme one? 🥀
He stared, his chubby cheeks flushing with a mix of embarrassment and intrigue. Slowly, he typed:
Master: Guys, I think you misunderstood. I just watch a lot of porn.
Ten seconds of eerie silence—a miracle in that hyperactive group.
Then:
King of Krosin: …A profound disguise. As expected of Master. Even when speaking the mundane truth, it carries the weight of heavenly tribulation.
Heavenly Dragon: 😭😭😭 So humble. This is why we can never reach Master's realm.
Void Sovereign: Truly, the art of concealing brilliance is the highest art of all.
The guy slammed both tabs shut, stuffing himself back into his boxers with a frustrated grunt. He barked out a short, ugly laugh that echoed off the walls, then slumped in the dark, listening to the wheezing hum of his PC fans. Deep in his mind, a tiny voice whispered, *The fuck is wrong with this group? They don't know what a porn video is? Are they that immersed in cosplay? Truly the best lunatics.*
He sighed, glancing at his username: Master. He'd joined this group on a whim—it had popped up in his feed, sounding interesting. The talks were always about their sex life problems, and he'd "solved" them with his puny knowledge from porn-watching marathons. One more message popped up.
Demon God: Master should be in His cultivation, so for today, we should cease. If Master's concentration is broken, we cannot bear His wrath.
Mystic Simara: Haha, Master should be indulging in His dual cultivation by now.
As they bantered on about him in their flowery, formal tones—praising his nonexistent prowess—he just watched, a silent observer. In real life, he was a loser, a virgin, drowning in isolation. The praises felt hollow, yet oddly intoxicating, all for the trivial tips he'd gleaned from endless videos.
He sighed deeply, the weight of his mundane existence pressing down. Then, impulsively, he typed:
Master: Ahh, my life is gonna be ruined. I don't have any money to spend these days, and to top it off, I can't really go outside these days either.
Someone replied immediately.
Asura: How about I send some merit, Master? They can definitely help You since You're in need of money. Just convert them.
As Asura spoke, a ping echoed through the speakers: *100k merit has been sent to Master.*
The guy's eyes were glued to the screen, pupils dilated like he'd just snorted something far stronger than energy drinks. The merit balance in the corner of the chat window had already crossed seven digits and was still climbing. His chubby fingers hovered uselessly above the keyboard, trembling slightly.
Another ping. Then another. Then three in a row.
Asura: This one's meager offering was but a token, Master. Allow me to present a more fitting tribute.
[1,000,000 merit has been sent to Master]
He choked on his own spit, coughing violently as his throat tightened in shock.
King of Krosin: Asura speaks with true imperial generosity, yet how can this king allow his name to fall behind? Master, please accept this humble king's deepest respect and worldly relief.
[1,000,000 merit has been sent to Master]
His mouth hung open, a thin string of saliva glistening at the corner of his lip before he noticed and wiped it away with the back of his wrist, his hand shaking.
Celestial Empress Łucíferą: The previous gifts, while sincere, lack the gravitas befitting one who has reshaped this lowly empress's inner palace. Master… behold.
[1,000,000 merit has been sent to Master]
I have also instructed the vault keepers to prepare three additional million should Your mortal vessel require further nourishment. 🖤
He made a sound that was half-laugh, half-sob—something strangled and ugly that bounced off the peeling wallpaper, his chest heaving with erratic breaths.
Void Sovereign: Hmph. Numbers are meaningless without depth. Yet even the abyss acknowledges supremacy.
[1,500,000 merit has been sent to Master]
These carry the chill of the thirty-third layer. Spend them freely, or let them rot—Your choice alone moves the heavens.
Saint of Simara: Oh… oh my. The sacred springs tremble at such displays. Master, this one cannot bear to be outshone so thoroughly.
[1,200,000 merit has been sent to Master]
May these luminous drops wash away every earthly chain that dares bind You.
Heavenly Dragon: Brothers… sisters… restraint! Restraint!! Master is clearly undergoing heavenly tribulation right now—His aura must be surging violently! We must not—
[800,000 merit has been sent to Master]
…Forgive this junior. I lost control for a moment.
The numbers blurred together on the screen. His vision swam, tears of disbelief welling up as he pressed the heels of both hands into his eye sockets until white spots danced behind his eyelids, his breathing shallow and rapid.
Demon God: Enough posturing. Infernal sincerity requires no flowery words.
[2,000,000 merit has been sent to Master]
Use it to burn away Your suffering, or to build an empire. I care not—as long as it serves You.
Mystic Simara: Haha… Demon God finally shows his true heart! Master, allow this one to match such infernal passion with mystic fervor.
[1,800,000 merit has been sent to Master]
He finally managed to type, fingers slipping on the keys from sweat, his palms clammy and cold.
Master: Guys… seriously… this is too much.
I mean… thank you but… holy shit.
The chat froze for almost fifteen seconds—an eternity in that group, the cursor blinking mockingly.
Then:
Asura: Master's words carry the weight of cosmic compassion.
Even in the face of overwhelming tribute, He thinks of our burden…
Truly, we are blessed to serve one so selfless.
King of Krosin: As expected.
The deeper the humility, the higher the realm.
Celestial Empress Łucíferą: …He worries for us.
This lowly one is unworthy.
Void Sovereign: Pathetic.
And yet… correct.
Another wave of notifications lit up the screen like fireworks, the pings overlapping in a chaotic symphony.
[1,000,000 merit has been sent to Master]
[1,000,000 merit has been sent to Master]
[1,500,000 merit has been sent to Master]
[900,000 merit has been sent to Master]
He stared at the steadily climbing total in the group's merit ledger—47 million, 53 million, 68 million—his heart pounding like a drum in his chest, sweat beading on his forehead and trickling down his temples.
His chair creaked dangerously as he rocked backward, both hands gripping the armrests so hard the cheap plastic groaned under the pressure, his knuckles turning white.
The porn on the second monitor had long since timed out to a black screen saver. The room was dead silent except for the increasingly frantic whine of the PC fans and the soft, relentless *ping-ping-ping* of incoming tributes.
He whispered to the empty room, voice cracking with a mix of awe and terror: "…I just wanted to pay rent."
Another million arrived while he was still speaking, the notification flashing like a taunt.
He laughed—really laughed this time. A loud, broken, almost manic sound that startled him out of his stupor, echoing in the confined space. Then he buried his face in his hands, shoulders shaking uncontrollably as waves of adrenaline crashed over him.
Somewhere in the haze of disbelief, a single coherent thought managed to surface: *I need to figure out how much of this I can actually withdraw before the bank flags my account as money laundering.*
But even that worry felt distant, absurd, hilarious in the moment. He wiped his eyes with his sleeve, leaving a damp streak across the faded fabric, and slowly—almost reverently—opened the conversion window again.
Balance: 92,471,200 merit
He stared at the number for a long time, his breath hitching, the room spinning slightly around him.
Then, very quietly, he muttered: "…Fuck it."
And pressed Convert.
In that instant, the air in the room shimmered like heat haze over asphalt. A translucent panel materialized not on the monitor, but hovering in real life—right before his wide, unblinking eyes. It pulsed with an ethereal glow, edges flickering like digital static bleeding into reality, ancient runes scrolling along the borders in a language that twisted his mind just to glance at.
**[Merit Ascension Nexus Activated]**
**Planetary Signature Detected: Arvahn Realm (Mortal Coil Layer)**
**Merit Reservoir Scanned: 93,471,200 Units**
**Host Identity Confirmed: Qaiz Koltar**
**Current Cultivation Rank: None (Mortal Foundation Unformed)**
**Incoming Merit Transfer Protocol Initiated**
**Host, awaken to the boundless path. The Merit Ascension System binds to your essence. Through accumulated virtue and cosmic exchange, ascend beyond the veils of illusion. Speak your decree: How many merits do you command to convert into tangible essence? Beware—the heavens watch, and karma weaves its threads.**
The guy's jaw dropped, his chubby face paling as the panel hummed softly, waiting. The room felt colder, heavier, as if the universe itself had just leaned in to listen.