A solitary figure descended from the celestial dome.
He was an ordinary-looking young man, neither handsome nor imposing. His expression and gaze were as calm as still water and yet the shattered curtain of stars above had frozen mid-collapse, draped behind him like a celestial robe, heralding his extraordinary nature.
Radiance gathered around him, dazzling and resplendent. But anyone who laid eyes on him would first notice not the light, but the man himself.
It was as if, in his presence, all else in the world lost color.
All eyes on the battlefield turned skyward. And in every heart arose a single understanding:
This is a Saint.
A Saint, descending from the heavens.
The Saint of Great Zhou who guarded the nation was known as Donghuang.
This was not his real name. Whatever his birth name had once been had long been forgotten, perhaps even by himself.
But because countless people had called him that, "Donghuang" had become his name in truth.
In Great Zhou, the East was held in highest esteem. To form an alliance with Donghuang, who had not yet become a Saint at the time, the founding emperor of Zhou swore an oath at Mount Taiyuan, promising half the kingdom's fortune.
He vowed that for ten thousand years to come, the Zhou dynasty would honor Donghuang's position as equal to the emperor's.
Naturally, a cultivator of such caliber cared little for mortal authority. But there was one thing even he could not ignore, National Fate.
A mere mortal crowned as emperor could become near-immortal through the protection of national fate.
So long as the nation endured, the emperor would not die.
And the reverse held true.
Just like Emperor Su Yu of Liang, when his kingdom fell, he was no longer anything more than a common man. Beheaded upon the Dragon Throne without resistance.
For cultivators of the upper three realms, the benefits of national fate went far beyond this. Half the fortune of a nation was enough to secure Donghuang's loyalty for generations.
Thus, from the Pact of Taiyuan, the Saint who guarded the nation, Donghuang, was born.
Huo Hengxuan stood atop the ruins of the imperial capital, staring up at the Saint above. He sneered.
"Spare us your theatrics."
"My Liang's ancestor gave his life, and you didn't even suffer a serious injury? You still put on a display of pressure, what, to save face?"
"If that's the case, this 'Saint' title of yours is rather cheap."
Donghuang stood upon the void, unmoving, his expression unchanged.
He looked down at Huo Hengxuan, frowning slightly, as if in puzzlement.
"You sacrificed your entire country and even a Saint. What is it, exactly, that you're trying to achieve?"
Huo Hengxuan extended his hand, and a sword flew into his grip, pointing directly at Donghuang.
"What an absurd question. Hah!"
He spat on the ground.
"Wasn't it your Zhou that launched a full-scale invasion to destroy Liang? And now you ask us what we want?"
"We're defending our dying nation. Killing the enemy, what else?"
"You should ask yourself why you aided a tyrant in the first place."
Donghuang was silent for a moment, then slowly shook his head.
"At first, you were right. But... it all began when Su Yu insulted my friend."
He was referring to the founding emperor of Zhou, the one with whom he had made the Pact of Taiyuan.
Donghuang clasped his hands behind his back, his gaze deep and unfathomable.
"Su Yu was always foolish and ignorant, known for speaking without thought. That alone would not be surprising."
"The enmity between Zhou and Liang has simmered for years. Using that insult as justification to launch war was perfectly reasonable."
"Moreover, Ji Chengtian, upon learning of the Elixir of Immortality, was eager to strike and asked me to act. Given the alliance, I could not refuse."
"But now... I'm beginning to suspect something is amiss."
"If Su Yu truly possessed the Elixir of Immortality, why would he take such an obviously reckless risk?"
"Even a fool should understand that if one holds a priceless treasure, it's best not to flaunt it."
Huo Hengxuan laughed coldly.
"And what if he really was that foolish?"
Donghuang shook his head. "It doesn't make sense."
Huo Hengxuan replied, voice thick with irony:
"They say those who cross the Sea of Suffering and reach the Daoist Shore are freed from the cycle of rebirth and know the truths of heaven and earth."
"So tell me, Donghuang Saint, can't you divine the answer to such a simple riddle?"
Donghuang fell silent.
At last, he said:
"There are only two things in this world that I cannot comprehend."
"One is the Way of Heaven. The other... is Canliao."
He looked at Huo Hengxuan.
"Your plans lie somewhere between the two."
Now, it was Huo Hengxuan's turn to be silent.
Donghuang continued.
"When I said 'it doesn't make sense,' I wasn't referring to Su Yu's stupidity."
"I meant... there should be no such thing in this world as the Elixir of Immortality."
"Heaven's law takes from the excessive and gives to the deficient. Anything that neither increases nor decreases has already transcended the Heavenly Way."
"But the elixir exists. That is what confounds me."
"Huo Hengxuan, will you enlighten me?"
Donghuang raised his hand. The stars above turned with him.
"You achieved sainthood by preserving your country, but it was a Returning Light. Your inner foundation is hollowed out. After this battle, you will surely die. You'll return to the cycle of rebirth, everything will be lost."
"But if you tell me the truth, I can help you break through the 'veil of the womb' and recover your true self."
Huo Hengxuan's reply was simple.
He raised his long sword, his aura fully stabilized in the Daoist Shore Realm.
He took a deep breath. His voice thundered like a great bell, echoing in the ears of every soul in Liang.
"Then today, with the death of a Saint, let us send off the millions of souls of Liang!"
Inside and outside the capital, the weapons scattered beside the countless dead all rose in unison, humming in resonance. They soared into the air and gathered into a great river of blades, sword qi flashing like a rainbow.
Donghuang sighed.
Behind him, the celestial vault turned, stars spinning into a radiant, galaxy-spanning torrent.
BOOM!
From the heavens descended a flood of starlight.
From the earth rose a rainbow of sword energy.
Sky and land collided, glorious beyond imagination.
In the ruins of the capital, the few surviving Liang cultivators who had been awaiting orders looked up in awe.
They straightened their robes, fell silent, and saluted.
To bid farewell... to two Saints.
Meanwhile, Chen Kuang took the little princess from one of the remaining Liang cultivators. For convenience, since he had to adjust his grip, he tucked her under one arm like a bundle.
Ahead lay the outskirts of the battlefield, open terrain, growing emptier by the moment.
Only the roadside was lined with corpses and craters.
Beyond the trees of the official road, they would finally leave the capital's bounds.
Chu Wenruo sat atop a Xuantian horse, a female cultivator riding in front to guide it.
During the earlier battle, Chen Kuang had entrusted the mother and daughter to other Liang cultivators for protection.
Now, fewer than one in ten remained. They had sacrificed everything to keep the two alive.
If Chen Kuang had arrived even a moment later, he might have been the only one to escape.
Still, he could not be blamed. He had been locked in a life-or-death battle with Li Hongling.
And the final moment, the taunting words, had been to test whether she had another trump card.
As it turned out, she had, but overestimated herself.
Her trump card was still on the way.
"Move! Li Hongling is dead! Push forward while there's still time!"
Chen Kuang vaulted onto a horse, his aura falling fast.
He had already dropped below the Tower Ascension Realm. The power of the Divine Mountain Borrowing Jade had nearly run out. Only the last dregs of the Xiaoyao Wine remained to sustain him.
He couldn't help but feel a little regretful.
Not even a full day... and the "trial period" had expired.
The female cultivator nodded, quickly explaining:
"Once we're out, head toward Jishao Prefecture. Find the water route at the wild ferry crossing. With the help of the River Guild, you'll be out of Liang in three days."
Chen Kuang paused, then said gravely:
"You stay behind to cover us. I'll take it from here."
The woman blinked, then glanced at Chu Wenruo, this man had killed Li Hongling.
"My lady... take care."
She dismounted.
Chen Kuang placed the little "slop bucket" he'd tucked under his arm into Chu Wenruo's arms, slid forward, reached around her slim shoulders, and took the reins.
The steed galloped ahead in a burst of speed, vanishing into the distance.
But Chen Kuang's face grew heavier. His heart pounded.
Until.. he looked up.
There she stood. A black-robed woman, silent and suspended in the air, waiting.
Chen Kuang yanked the reins, bringing the horse to an abrupt halt.
He took a deep breath.
One last trial... remained.