High Martial World: I Gain Passive Skills Daily-Chapter 37 - 316: With the Death of a Saint, I Send Off One Million Souls of the Liang Kingdom!
A solitary figure descended from the starry heavens above.
It was an unremarkable-looking young man, his expression and gaze infinitely serene, yet the falling half-curtain of the starry sky had frozen in midair, as if draping him in divine robes that proclaimed his extraordinariness.
Brilliant radiance gathered around him, dazzling beyond measure, yet anyone upon first glance would notice only him.
As if compared to him, everything else in the world was overshadowed.
All those on the battlefield involuntarily lifted their heads to look, an understanding dawning within them unbidden.
That is a Saint!
The Saint descends from the heavens!
The great Saint of the Great Zhou Kingdom, known as "Donghuang."
This is not his original name, and what it truly was has become untraceable; perhaps even he has forgotten it.
But due to the multitude who call upon him, the two words "Donghuang" have become his name.
The Great Zhou reveres the east, and in order to form an alliance with the Donghuang before he ascended to sainthood, the founding Grand Ancestor swore an oath at the easternmost Taoyuan Mountain, pledging half the kingdom, ensuring the Donghuang’s recognition as equal to the Emperor for countless millennia.
Naturally, cultivators of this level may not care much for mundane power, but there is one thing they cannot refuse.
That is "National Fate."
An emperor of a nation, even if merely a mortal, once crowned, is sustained by "National Fate," becoming almost "undying."
If the nation does not fall, neither does the emperor perish.
Conversely, it is equally true.
Just like Emperor Liang Su Yu, when the kingdom crumbled, was merely a mortal easily beheaded upon the dragon throne.
For cultivators of the Upper Three Grades, the benefits of "National Fate" are far beyond this; the promise of half a nation’s fate was enough to make him willingly watch over the Zhou Kingdom.
After the Alliance of Taoyuan, the generational guardian of the state, the Saint Donghuang appeared.
Huo Hengxuan stood upon the ruins of the Imperial City, gazing directly at the Saint above, sneering:
"Stop pretending."
"My Grand Ancestor of the Liang Kingdom sacrificed his life, yet couldn’t even exchange for your grave injury? Is your strong facade merely to maintain face?"
"If so, you, as a Saint, are indeed losing your value."
Donghuang stood amidst the void, his expression unchanged by the words.
He looked down at Huo Hengxuan, furrowing his brow, his gaze filled with perplexity:
"Sacrificing an entire nation and a Saint, what exactly do you aim to achieve?"
Huo Hengxuan extended his hand, summoning a sword that flew into his grip, aimed at Donghuang: "Utterly absurd! Bah!"
He spat: "Was it not your Zhou Kingdom’s massive invasion, intending to annihilate my Liang Kingdom, and now you still question our intentions? It’s merely about saving a tottering nation and killing the enemy!"
"You should question yourself as to why you’re aiding a tyrant."
Donghuang pondered for a moment, shaking his head:
"Indeed, that was originally the case, yet... the cause lies in Su Yu’s insulting words towards my friend."
He referred to that individual who had enacted the Taoyuan Alliance with him, the founding Grand Ancestor of the Great Zhou.
Donghuang stood with hands behind his back, his gaze profound: "Su Yu has always been ignorant and incompetent, lacking wisdom, speaking carelessly, which in itself is quite normal."
"The enmity between the two kingdoms has persisted for years, thus taking up arms is justified."
"Moreover, Ji Chengtian, having heard of the Elixir of Longevity, was eager to act, entrusting me, bound by our alliance, was naturally difficult for me to refuse."
"However, I find something unsettling—"
"Since Su Yu already possesses the Elixir of Longevity, why then engage in such self-destructive acts?"
"I believe that even if he were exceptionally foolish, he should understand the principle that walls have ears, and possessing treasures invites danger."
Huo Hengxuan laughed, showing complete disregard for his former superior:
"What if he is precisely that foolish?"
Donghuang simply shook his head: "That should not be the case."
Huo Hengxuan intentionally stated: "Passing through the bitter sea, ascending to the Daoist Shore, one is free from reincarnation, understanding past and present, all that is seen is known."
He grinned: "So, can you not calculate the answer to this question, Saint Donghuang?"
Donghuang was silent for a long while, finally speaking. 𝐟𝕣𝕖𝐞𝐰𝕖𝚋𝐧𝗼𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝗰𝐨𝐦
"There are now only two things in this world that I cannot understand."
"One is the Celestial Dao, the other is the Nullity."
He looked towards Huo Hengxuan: "Your plan... lies among these two."
This time, it was Huo Hengxuan’s turn to fall silent.
Donghuang added: "When I say it should not, I do not mean Su Yu’s foolishness should not, but rather... in this world, the Elixir of Longevity itself should not exist."
"The Celestial Dao diminishes excess to replenish deficiency. If anything can neither increase nor decrease, it has transcended the Celestial Dao."
"Yet it indeed exists."
"This greatly perplexes me."
"Huo Hengxuan, are you willing to enlighten me?"
Donghuang extended his hand, causing the stars to shift: "You becoming a Saint by sustaining a nation is merely a fleeting moment; within, you are utterly exhausted. After this battle, you shall surely die, only to re-enter the cycle of rebirth, all achievements turning to void."
"If you reveal the answer to me, I will assist you in unraveling the enigma of your infancy."
Huo Hengxuan’s response was...
He raised his long sword, his aura firmly established in the Daoist Shore Realm.
Taking a deep breath, his voice thundered like a rolling bell, resounding through the ’Guardian of the Nation’ Dao Principles, echoing in the ears of every citizen of the Liang Kingdom.
"Today, let the death of a Saint serve as a farewell to the millions of fallen souls of the Liang Kingdom!"
Inside and outside the city, the weapons beside tens of thousands of departed simultaneously emitted a long chant, soaring to join into a great river, sword qi like a rainbow.
Donghuang heaved a long sigh, behind him the stars shifted, brilliant radiance cascading like a galaxy pouring down from three thousand feet above.
"Boom!"
The heavenly star river reversed its course, the earthly sword rainbow soared to the sky.
Heaven and earth converged, majestic and boundless.
Within the Imperial City, some cultivators awaiting orders stood frozen at this sight, then were deeply moved.
Silently, they adjusted their attire, saluting upward.
Bidding farewell to the two Saints.
...
Chen Kuang accepted the Little Princess from the hands of a supporting Liang Kingdom cultivator, adjusting her position; to ensure convenience, he simply tucked her under his arm.
Ahead lay the battlefield’s outskirts, the surroundings empty, the figures growing increasingly sparse.
Only piles upon piles of corpses and pits lined the roadsides.
Further ahead, through the official road’s woods, they would truly leave the Imperial City’s bounds.
Chu Wen Ruo sat on the back of a Profound Celestial Horse, a female cultivator sat before her, guiding the horse.
—During the battle, he entrusted the Little Princess and Chu Wen Ruo to other Liang Kingdom cultivators for protection.
Now, these cultivators had been reduced to a mere handful, risking their lives to preserve this mother and child.
If Chen Kuang were any slower, there’d possibly be only him escaping this time.
However, this cannot be blamed on Chen Kuang; he remained engaged in a life-and-death struggle with Li Hongling, and his final playful act was actually to probe whether she had any hidden moves.
As it turned out, Li Hongling was overly confident in herself.
Indeed, she had a trump card, but it was still on its way.
"Go! Li Hongling is dead! Seize the moment and rush out!"
Chen Kuang vaulted onto the horse, his aura continuing to plummet.
At this point, it had dropped below the Tower Ascension Realm, and the power of the Other Mountain Divine Jade had nearly dissipated entirely, leaving only the final trace of Carefree Wine’s aura barely supporting him.
He couldn’t help but feel a bit regretful.
Not yet a day gone, the trial period had expired...
The female cultivator ahead nodded, quickly instructing:
"After leaving the Imperial City, head towards Jishao County, find Cao Bang at the Wild Crossing there, and take the water route. Within three days, we’ll be out of the Liang Kingdom!"
Chen Kuang was silent for a few seconds before speaking solemnly: "You stay behind to hold them off; leave the rest to me!"
The female cultivator was taken aback, but thinking this person could kill Li Hongling, she turned to Chu Wen Ruo:
"Madam, take care!"
With that, she leaped off the horse.
Chen Kuang shifted the Little Garbage Bucket tucked under his arm into Chu Wen Ruo’s embrace, moved forward slightly, arms reaching over her narrow shoulders to grip the reins.
The steed galloped, leaving a trail of dust in its wake.
Yet, Chen Kuang’s expression grew increasingly grim, his heart thumping wildly.
Until, he raised his head, seeing the quiet yet impossibly still, overhanging figure of the black-clothed woman above.
Chen Kuang reined in the horse abruptly, taking a deep breath.
There was still, the final hurdle...
