Chapter 1226
Haina’s Resolution
Previously, during the Ascension Ritual, Eivass had discerned that despite the elder Ritualist’s outwardly steady and reliable demeanor, he was, at his core, filled with radicalism and a penchant for madness. It wasn’t surprising that he was betrayed in his youth. For an Anxi native who had never encountered any outsiders, the fact that he could commit any act that might lead to “betrayal” solely through his own determination already proved his transcendent nature.
“I can understand you, old sir,” Zhu Tang nodded in agreement. “A person lives a lifetime and eventually dies. I don’t want to be like some Paths that merely cling to life, existing like neither human nor ghost. In my opinion, a glorious death is far better. For an Extraordinary, there is nothing more shameful than dying on a bed. Extraordinary Power makes us arrogant, thinking we can control our own fate and transcend the mundane. Yet in the end, we fall back into the mundane, dying of old age like ordinary elders. What could be more ironic than that?”
“Indeed…” Eivass sighed. “Beauty fades, generals grow old; both are the least bearable aspects of the mortal world. This can be understood.”
“I want to go home because I still have family I cannot let go of,” Zhu Tang said with a touch of envy. “If not for that, I truly wish to enter this magnificent death with you. To be killed in a war against a Heavenly Envoy descending into the world, that would truly be a beautiful thing—far more impressive than being beheaded by an emperor or dying in bed or prison. The famous generals who dominated battlefields would envy me! If given the chance, they too would likely want to charge towards a Heavenly Envoy with a death wish… What a壮烈 (heroic and tragic) death that would be! With such a death, even a more ephemeral life would seem to have meaning.”
The two elders, both Ritualists, seemed to find common ground at this moment. Though one was nearing his end and the other was not yet sixty, only barely qualifying as middle-aged, they were now debating fiercely and with excitement, like fire and a tomb. Looking at them, Eivass sighed helplessly. He could understand, after all.
When Lixia, then Old Meg, still had plenty of lifespan, she chose to participate in a life-or-death Ascension Ritual precisely because she could not bear her own aging and weakness. Those on the Path of Authority couldn’t stand it, and those on the Transcendent Path certainly couldn’t.
“But…” He looked at Haina and said with annoyance, “What are you planning to do, senior sister? Don’t tell me you’ve lived long enough?”
“…More or less,” Haina nodded seriously.
“—Hey, little girl.” It was Zhu Tang who spoke first. He “looked” at the girl, who was not much younger than his own daughter, and couldn’t help but say, “You are still very young… what is this talk of death? So young… not even thirty yet? And you’ve already reached the Fifth Tier. You will undoubtedly become a top-tier powerhouse in this World. Your good days are ahead! Honestly, I can’t even imagine how great my life would have been if I had reached this level before thirty—haha, if not for the emperor’s suspicion, I might have become the foremost minister in heaven and earth, throughout history! You have at least fifty more years to enjoy!”
Zhu Tang’s words were filled with undisguised envy. The Fifth Tier itself wasn’t particularly strange. In Eivass’s past life, it might have been equivalent to being among the top hundred wealthiest people in the world. Now, with the surge of Transcendence, this level had spread rapidly, diluted to roughly the top thousand. While each country might have a few, and major nations could have dozens or even hundreds, it wasn’t unusual. However, having this level of wealth in one’s early twenties was entirely different from achieving it in one’s forties or fifties.
“What will your parents do if you die here? You still have a younger brother,” Eivass looked at her with some concern. “If it’s impossible… why don’t you go to Taichu as a guest with Zhu Tang and the others first? I’ll come back to pick you up after everything settles down?”
He found it difficult to understand Haina’s resolution to die here. It seemed entirely meaningless, and he didn’t know her motivation. He could only dismiss it as a young girl’s Overthinking.
“One of the reasons… is that I want revenge,” Haina said seriously. “During the Ascension Ritual, I encountered a scumbag, a member of the corrupt faction, a wretch who took pleasure in killing. His codename in the ritual was ‘Cake Maker’… He made me truly understand what slaughter and cruelty were. I also genuinely realized… that the minor skirmishes in Avalon’s public order campaign were nothing. It was he who stripped away my naive shell and made me resolve to become stronger. Now, I have abandoned the Path of Authority and obtained greater Power, driven by the desire to kill him as I did back then. I vowed to kill him with my own hands as repayment for my growth. This was an ‘Oath’ I made to the Crown Lord. Although the Crown Lord is no longer here… I do not wish to break my promise. Because this is also a vow I made to ‘myself.’ —And ‘Cake Maker’ inadvertently mentioned ‘Morning Dew Prayer’ and ‘Sacred Well.’ According to the information I obtained from the Harpies, these are unique to Holy Spring City. This means he is from Holy Spring City.”
“…Revenge,” Ibn murmured, feeling a sense of loss. One of his motivations for coming to Anxi this time was also revenge. His and Eivass’s common enemy, Aziz bin Abdul, was in Anxi. However, he seemed to have changed his name, making it impossible for even the well-informed Harpies to find him. Now, seeing Haina find a clue about her enemy, he felt a little envious.
“Rather than revenge,” Eivass looked at Haina with greater regard, “it’s more like ‘hunting’ a nemesis… Speaking of which, before the Path Adaptation existed, the Sixth Origin River was precisely called the Hunting Path. This can be considered a form of tracing the source. Perhaps you’ve gained inspiration from this Power and suddenly become so strong.”
“I have a feeling… as long as I complete this hunt, I will be able to break through the energy level wall of the Sixth Tier,” Haina looked at Eivass. “Honestly, Eivass, I have no interest in ascending to the Dream Realm. But if I’m not mistaken… you plan to participate in an Ascension Ritual, right?”
“…That’s right,” Eivass told his people without any concealment. “I plan to perform an Absent Seat Ritual and simultaneously occupy the two Paths of Transcendence and Devotion.” An Absent Seat Ritual inherently allows for mutual killing. Ascending in Anxi, this type of ritual is actually advantageous to him. At least it can effectively prevent backstabbing and covert alliances from outside the arena… just as he had done himself in Avalon in the past. This is their home turf.
“At that time, I will help you. Just because you have been Pope, Lord, and Prince, yet still treat me as a friend, willing to call me senior sister, and not let me use a respectful tone when addressing you…” Haina said earnestly, “This time, it will be me who helps you ascend to a higher position. This is what I truly intend to do.”
Previously, the illustration of Grey couldn’t be uploaded, and I heard that the artist’s livestream drawing of His Majesty the Pope was also banned. So, I used a pixelated image of a flower quilt for censorship… and then the livestream wasn’t banned! Inspired, I managed to get a preview version with the flower quilt censored! And indeed, it could be uploaded! Please use your imagination to transform the flower quilt into skin when you hear the alarm. Tutu hasn’t finished drawing yet. The complete version will be included in the peripheral gift box after the book is finished! It’s really mysterious. I feel that Alain, who is more risqué, wasn’t banned. I suspect the censorship is based on the size of the breasts.
