What occurs when all quality gates have been met?

When all quality gates have been met, the process ensures that the required criteria for code quality and functionality are satisfied. This leads to the metadata merge and deployment to the destination branch. The destination branch is typically where the final version of the code is intended to be deployed after it has passed all necessary checks, which include code reviews, testing, and compliance with other predetermined standards.

This stage is crucial because it signifies that the code is ready to be moved to a more stabilized environment, where it can then be further tested or released for production. Meeting quality gates increases confidence in the deployment process, ensuring that only code that meets the organization’s criteria is moved forward.

In this context, the other options do not correctly capture the sequence of events following the fulfillment of quality gates. For instance, metadata merging and deployment to the source branch doesn’t align with the objective of the quality gate assessment, which is meant for ensuring readiness for a subsequent release or production environment. Making a user story automatically publish or resetting the pipeline doesn't directly relate to the successful passing of quality gates in this context. Thus, the significance of deploying to the destination branch stems from a successful quality assurance process, validating the integrity of the code before its final implementation.