Martial Ascent to Divinity-Chapter 536 - 519: The Track

The few among the giants, demon spirit masters, humans, tree-men, and dwarves who didn’t join the Ancient River Sect stared in terror at Zhou Leng and Zhang Xinglie.

Most people were panicked with fear, while a few were furious in their fear.

"What are you two trying to do? Just because we didn’t join you, but we’re not members of the Demon Worship Sect, do we deserve to die?"

"How dare you kill allies!"

"I’m a giant, how dare you! Giants, are you just going to watch them slaughter us?"

"There are only two of them, kill them both!"

"Kill them both!"

The five races roared, charging at Zhou Leng and Zhang Xinglie under the threat of death.

The two moved side by side, with a tacit understanding, first avoiding the strongest giants and starting to kill from the weaker opponents.

Both were already beyond ordinary Great Innate, close to the pinnacle of Great Innate.

After comprehending the Burial Star Stele, their strength was firmly established among the top-tier Great Innate.

Zhou Leng used palms and fingers, while Zhang Xinglie used fists; the moment the fight began, it was like churning a sea of blood, stirring up waves of crimson.

Blood splattered, and severed limbs flew about.

Zhou Leng focused on the Heart and Mind Shadow, supplemented by the No Return Battle Technique, with the Mountain River Guardian Technique added on. His finger and palm techniques would often unleash strange and ingenious moves, leaving the enemies defenseless.

Zhang Xinglie used the No Return Battle Technique along with the Mountain River Guardian Technique, charging fiercely, even at the cost of reducing his defense to achieve his goal.

The opponents were all renowned Great Innates, and in just a moment, Zhang Xinglie was covered in wounds.

After slaughtering the dwarves and martial artists, the two of them tacitly charged at the troublesome demon spirit masters.

Exterminating the demon spirit masters, they attacked the tree-men.

The two were like gods of slaughter descending upon the world, tearing apart the tree roots and crowns, reducing them to fragments of wood.

Finally, the two charged head-on at the five giants.

This time, Zhou Leng retracted his Heart and Mind Shadow, focusing on the No Return Battle Technique, supplemented by the Mountain River Guardian Technique, slaying relentlessly with determination.

The five giants, on the brink of death, burned their lives to face the two.

The two sides were like two great mountains, colliding constantly, cracking, collapsing.

Until the last giant fell.

The two stood amid a sea of corpses.

Their clothes were torn and tattered, Zhou Leng’s body was clean, with faint bruises visible under the skin.

Zhang Xinglie was covered in wounds, his skin either shattered or collapsed.

"If it weren’t for fighting side by side, I’d seriously suspect you’re slacking off. The results from the Tree-man World trial?" Zhang Xinglie asked.

"Mm," Zhou Leng replied.

"I should have avoided going to the Beastman World with you. The Beastman World, what a pit," Zhang Xinglie looked up speechlessly.

"Your gains are not bad either," Zhou Leng said, looking at Zhang Xinglie.

His body was severely injured, covered in blood, but strangely, the blood didn’t spill out but turned into thin sheets, attached to his body.

The thin sheets of blood, hard as armor, helped Zhang Xinglie block one blow after another.

Apart from being a bit bloody, it was flawless.

The two swallowed pills in large gulps, with Zhou Leng offering medicinal fruits from the Fierce Beast World, and Zhang Xinglie handing over the beastman’s blood bone and shaman potion.

They bent down, scavenging for spoils, then slowly walked towards the main battlefield.

Giants and giant dragons were entangled in battle, while other races lingered on the edge of the battlefield, hesitant.

The people of the five races gazed at Zhou Leng and Zhang Xinglie with complex expressions.

They knew well that among their people existed demon cultists.

And certainly, there were innocents.

Some might not want to get involved in conflict, some might have been bewitched by the demon cultists, and some simply wanted to pass the trial by themselves.

They did not blame the two.

Whether it’s the simplest giants, the most conservative tree-men, the pleasure-loving steel dwarves, the rational demon spirit masters, or the ethical human martial artists, they all understood one thing.

This is war, and this is the battlefield.

A few among the five races who didn’t join the Ancient River Sect would remain a huge threat in either the upcoming trials or after leaving the Great Battlefield.

From the beginning, they knew.

But they dared not make decisions, or bear infamy.

Now, someone stood up.

Others might curse Zhou Leng, but they would not.

Zhou Leng and Zhang Xinglie rested as they walked slowly.

After a while, Zhou Leng said slowly, "Innate and Qi Blood are indeed different."

"For example?" Zhang Xinglie asked.

"When I was in the Qi Blood Realm, even during the Celestial Tier Trial, I only needed to lead a charge, without needing extra decision-making. Whether it was the subsequent dwarf trial, giant trial or even the Hundred Peaks Valley trial..."

Zhou Leng paused, then continued, "In fact, it’s all the same. Even if the method of killing changes, it’s no different in essence. I didn’t need to consider other matters."

"But after becoming Innate, it’s different. In the Battle of Shuizhou, I needed to cooperate with the campaign, watching as comrades paved the way for me with their lives to achieve the final victory."

"Entering the Great Battlefield, I faced more moral dilemmas and had to make decisions beyond the past."

"I know, the enemies are growing stronger, situations more complex. Simple means can no longer suffice. But..."

Zhou Leng didn’t continue and walked slowly forward, while Zhang Xinglie turned his head, seeing traces of confusion and bewilderment on Zhou Leng’s face.

Zhang Xinglie said, "Different identities and statuses lead to entirely different experiences, which is quite normal. Today’s matter is actually the trolley dilemma that has perplexed humanity for countless years. If the brakes of a trolley on the tracks fail, and ahead there are two diverging tracks, one with one person tied to it and the other with five people, which track would you choose?"

He continued, "When we were still in the Qi Blood Realm, we were just passengers on the train watching the conductor make the choice."

"Now, we have become the conductors."

"This problem troubled me for many years, until recently, when I finally understood a bit."

"Oh?" Zhou Leng looked at Zhang Xinglie with curiosity, eager to know his perspective on the matter.

Zhang Xinglie said, "In this world, there are many conductors, almost every day choosing whether to hit a few people or many people."

"Most of the time, we are passengers, free to criticize them."

"I don’t judge the right or wrong of all actions, but then I thought, is it possible that sometimes we are passengers, while sometimes we’re tied to the tracks, waiting to be crushed."

Zhou Leng was stunned for a moment, as this thought hadn’t occurred to him before.

Zhang Xinglie said, "Perhaps, more often than not, we actually have no choice."

Zhou Leng said, "I feel my real confusion isn’t about gratitude or curses, but rather, how to determine if my choice is the right one."

Zhang Xinglie spread his hands and said, "No one can judge, not even the smartest person in the world today, for in tens of thousands of years, what they did might seem foolish, just like how we often dismiss people of the old times. The truly right decisions that transcend the river of history are few and far between."

"Even those who created histories of correct choices often made various mistakes."

"The world is not a test paper, and having no answers is also an answer."

Zhang Xinglie raised his head, looking towards the distant sky filled with rolling dark clouds.

"I think, for us, it’s more important to accurately judge when we’re on the train, when we’re tied to the tracks, and when we’re being crushed."

Zhou Leng said, "I like your perspective."

Zhang Xinglie slowly said, "If you have to say something, if one day you become the conductor of a larger trolley, please remember to make the same choice as today. If you must hit, aim for the track with fewer people."

"Do my best," Zhou Leng said.

The two returned to the team.

The giants and the giant dragons were still locked in intense battle.

The small five clans had already been annihilated, while the large five clans hesitated, apart from the giants who had already joined the fight.

The crowd continued to whisper among themselves.

Zhou Leng saw Zhang Xinglie’s wounds starting to heal and gathered everyone.

Everyone looked at Zhou Leng silently.

Their expressions were conflicted and hesitant, yet seemed to have added a layer of trust.

Zhou Leng looked at them and began to speak slowly, "Just now, I was feeling lost, so I chatted with Zhang Xinglie. I said..."

He recounted the events that had just taken place, with nothing left unsaid.

After a brief pause, Zhou Leng slowly said, "Zhang Xinglie and I just crushed a track. Now, we are bound to the tracks, while the demons and the giant dragons are bound to another track. Seizing the trolley and steering it towards the other track is our only choice."

"Some trolleys we can seize, but some trolleys..."

"Look up..."

Everyone, along with Zhou Leng, looked up to the sky.

"In the starry sky, all beings of the Ten Realms are bound to an invisible track, while a giant cosmic trolley heads towards us."

The crowd paused in thought.

"I said earlier, in the coming days, we need to cleanse the external threats. Everyone, heed my command: circumnavigate the battlefield of the giant dragons and the giants and move towards the demons."

"Slay the demons," Zhang Xinglie roared lowly.

"Slay the demons."

"Slay the demons."

The various clans used different words representing the same meaning, bypassing the battlefield and charging towards the remaining few demons.

The giant dragons were deeply embroiled in battle, unable to attend to other matters.

Seeing this, the other demons turned and fled without hesitation.

The Demon Spirit Masters intervened, casting spells to block their retreat.

The rest attacked with full force.

The Ocean of Giant Shells roared as it charged towards a demon, vividly remembering how this demon had pushed him towards Zhou Leng.

The demons had already been almost entirely wiped out by Zhou Leng, Zhang Xinglie, and the Mountain and River Origin, leaving very few.

In less than three minutes, all demons concluded their trials.

The crowd came to a halt, while the giant dragons and giants continued to battle.

But the giant dragon forces were evidently growing chaotic.

The red dragon under Red Eyes’ command shouted, "Zhou Leng, you signed an agreement with Her Majesty the Queen. You cannot become our enemy."

"I only signed an agreement with Her Majesty Red Eyes, not with you."

"But we agreed beforehand that the trials would not cause any disputes."

"The First Layer of the trial has ended," Zhou Leng said.

The giant dragons were taken aback, only now recalling how the star monument had continually flashed.

"If you have another life, remember to read up on the ancient history of the Dragon Country, and understand what ’lip and teeth depend on each other’ means."

"Kill."

At Zhou Leng’s command, everyone attacked.

Seeing the other four clans finally taking action, the giants laughed heartily.

Trusting the Frost Giant Duke was indeed the right choice.