“Was it really just a dream?”

A strange and indescribable feeling rose in Carter Foster's heart, but just as this thought emerged, he suddenly felt darkness descend before his eyes once more, as if he were staring into an endless night. Yet within this darkness, a scroll appeared, floating out from the depths of the void, silently unfurling itself. Upon it began to emerge one after another, ancient and vigorous characters.

Heavenly Dao Merit Register.

Carter Foster of Lakeview, innate qi: two cun and nine eight.

Next came the words “merit,” and after “merit,” smaller characters slowly appeared.

Six thousand thoughts!

And this number, six thousand thoughts, was slowly changing, eventually becoming three thousand thoughts.

“What is this...”

Carter Foster was slightly stunned, then immediately felt countless thoughts rising in his heart.

These thoughts seemed to emanate from the scroll, actively pouring into his heart—a very strange sensation. As the thoughts entered his heart, they slowly dissolved, and he naturally came to understand many things, deeply imprinted in his mind...

“Heavenly Dao Merit Register...”

“Convert merit, reverse karma...”

“...”

“...”

“So... this is my brother’s golden finger?”

Subtle expressions gradually appeared on Carter Foster’s face.

His own elder brother had truly placed his greatest secret in this letter!

He finally understood why his brother had so eagerly written to him before, ordering him to slay demons and be kind to others!

It turned out, he had long prepared to pass this secret on to him!

It turned out, to inherit this Heavenly Dao Merit Register, besides repeatedly reciting that eight-character secret mantra, one also had to undergo this bizarre trial.

If he hadn’t accumulated the merit from slaying demons and monsters in his daily life, he might have already been struck dead by that strange divine thunder just now.

Focusing his mind on the word “merit,” he could even see where each piece of merit came from.

The three monsters of White Demon Stream, south of Liuhu City: one thousand five hundred thoughts.

The bandit Edward Brooks of Red Grave Ridge: four hundred thoughts.

The demon cultivator Henry Clark of the Northern Palace: one thousand two hundred thoughts!

...

...

All of these were demons and monsters eliminated by Carter Foster’s own hand.

He had always done these things in great secrecy.

The people of Liuhu City only knew that these scourges had been eliminated, but no one knew it was related to Foster Family Second Young Master.

In his previous life, there was a saying: when a person does good deeds, even if no one knows, they accumulate hidden virtue and will be rewarded with good fortune.

If one does evil, even if they deceive everyone, they will lose hidden virtue and eventually suffer retribution.

Such words sounded more like comfort, for good people often die young, while evildoers live for centuries.

But unexpectedly, in this world, there truly existed such a wondrous treasure, able to convert one’s deeds into merit and display them on this strange scroll, as if it were some kind of bounty list, calculated with great clarity.

Previously, it was by relying on this merit that he withstood the dark divine thunder, passed the trial, and ultimately inherited the Heavenly Dao Merit Register.

This was the reason he could obtain the Heavenly Dao Merit Register.

Others, even if they discovered the secret in the letter, could not withstand this trial.

Or rather, if their own merit was insufficient, they would not be able to glimpse the mystery within the letter at all.

As for the specific reason, Carter Foster could not say for sure. He only knew that his brother had specially sent him this letter, hiding a secret within, and after triggering the secret, one had to undergo such a terrifying trial—he must have anticipated every possible scenario.

“Charles Foster, oh Charles Foster, is this the secret behind your genius?”

Carter Foster sat for a long, long time before his mind stirred slightly, the darkness before his eyes dissipated, the scroll vanished, and he found himself still holding the letter, staring blankly, as if nothing had happened. Only in his heart did waves surge, thoughts rising and falling: “Three years ago, you had me, a child who had just turned fourteen, go and slay those fierce and terrifying demons and monsters—was it all for this?”

“You arranged for me to eliminate demons early on, and before entering the Eternal Night Wasteland, you wrote this letter, hiding such a secret within...”

“Was it because you already knew you wouldn’t return from the wasteland?”

“...”

“...”

Through these arrangements, Carter Foster caught a glimpse of some of his brother’s experiences.

Suddenly, he seemed to vaguely understand—perhaps his brother had long foreseen that he would face such a day!

But if he had foreseen it, why didn’t he try to avoid it?

Even I would do my best to make backup plans; with your cultivation, how could you not be able to seek fortune and avoid disaster?

He shook his head helplessly, momentarily lost in a daze.

...

...

“Innate qi: two cun and nine eight—is this my talent?”

That afternoon, Carter Foster did not continue reading the letter. Instead, he locked it in a drawer, rubbed his forehead in sorrow for a while, then went to comfort his parents and instructed the steward to prepare for his brother’s funeral. Throughout the process, he remained calm and composed, showing not the slightest abnormality.

It was not until late at night, when he lay back on his bed, that he finally closed his eyes and continued to study the Heavenly Dao Merit Register.