Chapter 212: Jingxin Era, 18th Year, Spring: Rewards Arrive! (6K)

With the Sacrificial Soul Pass captured, Luo Hou Wang suffered a massive loss.

Because his wager with Ling De Wang began on November 10th, when Liu Tianning had only just arrived at the war zone a few days prior.

He and Ling De Wang bet that Zhao Xing could resolve the issue within forty days and that the Sacrificial Soul Pass would be captured.

As a result, the Sacrificial Soul Pass was not captured until the end of December.

"Hahaha, Luo Hou, I will gladly accept those two Tier-7 Divine Weapons!" Ling De Wang laughed happily. "Thank you."

Luo Hou Wang's mouth twitched, utterly speechless.

Zhao Xing's performance, however, did meet his expectations.

But the speed at which the Sacrificial Soul Pass was captured was still a few days too slow.

"If Luo Hou you had wagered two months, Ling De would have surely lost," King Tianyan said, shaking his head. "Pity, it was just those few days short."

"A few days short is still short; one must honor a bet," Luo Hou Wang said. "The resistance at the Sacrificial Soul Pass this time slightly exceeded my expectations."

"Look at the intelligence submitted by Yingyuan Prefecture; if not for Zhao Xing's astonishing performance, capturing the Sacrificial Soul Pass would likely have taken until next year."

King Tianyan and Ling De Wang took a look and indeed spotted the unusual aspects.

The military supplies provided by Zhao Xing far exceeded expectations.

Thus, the Six Armies Alliance was able to launch continuous fierce attacks in the final month; especially the Hunyuan Warships, whose assaults barely stopped for the latter half of the month.

Had the logistics not been in place, the Sacrificial Soul Pass would truly have been fought over until next year, as Luo Hou Wang said.

"But why did the Shenwei Army stop fighting?" Ling De Wang asked in confusion.

"The main commander, Liao Liao Rulong, had a conflict with Yi Yue," Luo Hou Wang said in a deep voice. "Liao Liao Rulong missed the battle opportunity, chasing only halfway before stopping. Yi Yue had a huge argument with him, and the Qiyuan Army and Nangong Ye have already parted ways with them."

"Having partners too strong is not necessarily a good thing; they will eventually split," King Tianyan said. "However, this Liao Liao Rulong is actually lucky. Perhaps a ceasefire is imminent; chasing now would yield little military merit, with danger outweighing opportunity."

"Ceasefire?" Ling De Wang and Luo Hou Wang both looked at King Tianyan. "How do I not know this?"

King Tianyan pondered, "I am merely guessing; there is no confirmed news yet."

Luo Hou Wang said, "If a ceasefire is truly imminent, stopping the pursuit now is indeed a prudent strategy."

If a high-grade major war were truly to begin, high-grade experts would inevitably descend to the front lines to prepare.

At that time, there would certainly be a period of chaos where neither side would strictly adhere to the rule that 'high-grade experts must not attack low-grade ones.'

One might accidentally stumble into an area where high-grade experts appear; then, instead of gaining military merit, one would only suffer casualties.

Even if one did not encounter them, once the order came, one would have to retreat, meaning the fighting would have been in vain anyway.

"Luo Hou, I might lose to you," King Tianyan said somewhat helplessly. If a ceasefire truly occurred, neither Xia Jing nor Zhao Xing had yet reached the level required to be enfeoffed as a Second-Rank Hou Jue.

One could only say the Jing Emperor was more impatient than anticipated; having trained the troops for not long, he now wanted to launch a true major war.

Sacrificial Soul Pass, a secluded courtyard.

"Inner Five Elements Heaven and Earth; Heaven's Mandate is my mandate, Heaven's Fortune is my fortune, Heaven's Lifespan is my lifespan."

"Yin and Yang are the True Self; Five Elements Heaven and Earth; cultivating to the end, the Benwo Sect is the true way," Zhao Xing sighed inwardly.

It is now January of the 18th year of Jingxin Era; since the capture of the Sacrificial Soul Pass, the Shenwei Army, the Xuanjia Army, and the Zhenhai Army have been resting in place.

With nothing to do in Tonghuocheng, he came to the Sacrificial Soul Pass to cultivate.

The area within a hundred li of the Sacrificial Soul Pass has all been transformed.

Its destruction was not as severe as at Huolong Pass; the Xuantian Sect's Yin Five Elements Great Array is still operating, though the barrier in the southern section remains unable to recover.

Within the Yin Five Elements Heaven and Earth Great Array, Zhao Xing's comprehension of the Yin Yang True Self Scripture and the Five Fingers Heaven's Mandate grew ever deeper.

Because Liu Tianning had taught him the high-grade Soul-Confusing Array, this involved the profound principles of Yin, Yang, and the Five Elements.

Secondly, having learned the True Self Straw Man, where the Five Methods merge into one, is essentially a shallow form of 'Five Dao Unification.'

What is unified is also the Dao of the Five Elements.

Now, having entered this great array arranged by the Xuantian Sect and perceiving the rare Yin Five Elements formation, he gained even deeper insight.

"Five Fingers Heaven's Mandate utilizes the Inner Five Elements Heaven and Earth to unify the Great Five Elements of Heaven and Earth."

"Deducing the fate of the Inner Heaven and Earth is deducing my own fate."

"I can even vaguely feel how long I myself can live," Zhao Xing thought silently.

His extra lifespan reached 150 years, obtained through consuming various spiritual essences, fortune-enhancing methods, and lifespan-extending means.

Then, as a Seventh-Rank Earth Fiend realm cultivator, how long can he live? Less than one hundred and fifty years.

Shouldn't one live longer the more one cultivates?

Actually, that is not the case.

Low-grade realms simply cannot effectively extend lifespan.

This realm is utterly insignificant compared to the shackles of Heaven and Earth.

"In the Era of Primordial Qi, the shackles of Heaven's Mandate are the most unshakable of all heavenly rules; for every creature of every race, how long they should live is pressed down by a rule; this is the so-called predetermined fate."

"Cultivators can become very strong, but becoming strong makes it hard to break the shackles of Heaven's Mandate; even emperors of fortune dynasties can only live a thousand years."

"After the Reawakening of Spiritual Qi, Heaven and Earth underwent drastic changes, entering the Era of Spiritual Qi; the upper limit of Heaven's Mandate's shackles rose, and the lifespans of creatures of all races rose accordingly."

"In the Ancient Era, the Xuanhuang Continent also had an Era of Spiritual Qi, where colossal creatures roamed the land; whether animals or plants, their sizes were incomprehensibly huge; even a single blade of grass could live for a very long time; the rare treasures of today were commonplace then."

"After the Catastrophe Era, the status of Heaven and Earth dropped to the 'Primordial Qi level'; everything shrank accordingly, and the lifespan upper limit dropped with it."

Every time Zhao Xing was promoted, he could see 'giants' in the court within the illusionary realm; especially the Jing Emperor, whose figure was colossal, meaning his 'Heaven's Mandate' was stronger than others', allowing him to live longer.

Zhao Xing began calculating how much longer he must live to wait for the hope of immortality.

"There are still nineteen years in the Jingxin Era; after the 37th year of Jingxin, comes the Dazhi Year and the Yongzhi Year; adding these two eras gives one hundred and fifty-eight years, and the Jing Emperor will pass away."

"That means during the Jing Emperor's reign, there are still one hundred and seventy-seven years."

"After him, Wu Di lived for one thousand and twenty years; he broke the lifespan shackles of emperors in fortune dynasties, but still did not advance further."

"After Wu Di came Yuan Di; from here, the Great Zhou Dynasty began to experience internal troubles, external threats, and the Catastrophe Era; fortune began to decline. There were fifteen emperors in total, with an average lifespan of over a hundred years; roughly calculating, one thousand seven hundred years."

"Only after that did the Reawakening of Spiritual Qi occur; that means I still have to live for nearly three thousand years," Zhao Xing thought silently. "The path to immortality is long and arduous."

"The road must be walked step by step; first realize the Fifth Rank goal of the Jing Emperor era."

"Now my war merit totals 1.6 million, placing me forty-fifth on the Seventh Rank War Merit List."

"Excluding the temporary promotions in the Divine Might Army, my current official rank is Lower Seventh Rank."

"Currently in the Divine Might Army, following Liao Ru's unit, I have never known defeat."

"With my war merit, if rewarded, a promotion of three ranks is inevitable, so I should reach Upper Sixth Rank."

"Old Chen and Long Xiao started higher than me; they should reach Upper Sixth Rank."

"With 1.6 million war merit, my title will not rise further, remaining at Third Class Marquis; though not a Wu Hou, merely a leisurely Marquis, I still hold 160,000 mu of inferior fertile land and a fief of 1,600 households."

"The honorary title should be Fifth Level District Council Physician, able to participate in important decision discussions in Juncheng and hold some influence at the prefecture level to offer advice."

"The merit rank should reach Sixth Rank; as long as I hold office, aside from salary, the extra bonus should be 300,000 merit points annually."

The merit rank bonus is calculated in military merit points because the merit rank bonus is issued by the military.

After Great Zhou expanded its territory, its lands generated massive revenue; a portion of this revenue's tax was used to pay the soldiers who attained merit ranks.

The military class must be the wealthiest class in Great Zhou!

Thus, Great Zhou soldiers are also eager to expand territory, because even after retirement, the bonus from merit ranks remains one-third to one-half of what it was during service.

Zhao Xing's honorary title and merit rank are not high because his previous million war merit was all exchanged for Yin Spirit slots.

"If nothing unexpected happens, a truce will occur in February, the entire Ping Man battlefield will begin withdrawing troops, and rewards will be finalized by March."

"Immediately after, the Ten Yang Cave Heaven anomaly will occur, beginning the birth of massive amounts of Heavenly and Earthly Spiritual Elegance." Zhao Xing sorted through the future trajectory.

"The explosive appearance of Heavenly and Earthly Spiritual Elegance will last half a year; by September, a two-level reversal occurs, ten suns hang in the sky, and a world-destroying disaster appears."

"In October of the same year, the Jing Emperor reopens the low and middle-grade battlefields, continuing the troop training strategy."

"Afterwards, fighting continues until Jing Xin Year 28, gradually deploying middle-grade combat power, peaking at Fourth Rank; from Year 29 to 35, the war continues to escalate, with Third Rank down to First Rank participants entering the fray."

"In Year 35, the war suffered setbacks; Liang Wang colluded with sects and Southern Man forces to rise in rebellion; in Year 37, the rebellion was crushed, the war ended completely, followed by the Great Peace Era where the Jing Emperor began creating people and breeding descendants; in the Eternal Peace Era, the successor was determined..."

"The window period for the Southern Man battlefield extends a bit after the Ten Yang Cave Heaven, but I must grasp the measure, otherwise I will be unable to extricate myself." Zhao Xing thought silently.

If one's official rank rises too high, it is impossible to leave whenever one wishes; after all, the army is not a place where coming and going are free.

Granting an official title is to make you work; the nodes for extricating oneself are few.

Once missed, Zhao Xing must continue fighting, participating in mid-to-high-end battlefields, where he would be cannon fodder.

Great Zhou now produces talents in waves; Liu Tianning, Fan Zhaoli, Lu Bang, Tantai Ming... these veteran Fifth Rank and Fourth Rank figures have lived for one or two hundred years, even three or four hundred.

There is no chance for Zhao Xing to rise; the child of fortune, Lu Yuanwei, also met disaster in later battlefields, ultimately only barely maintaining a Lower Fifth Rank official position.

If he fares so poorly, others face even greater dangers.

"Enjoy the blessings one should, and avoid the disasters one must," Zhao Xing said. "My body is not yet hard, my status is too low; I must eliminate greed and not attempt to influence the grand battlefield pattern."

Cultivating the Five Fingers Destiny also sounded a warning bell for Zhao Xing; he calculated the fate of the Spirit Sacrifice Pass and Old Chen, both suffering backlash; how much more so if he personally threw himself into the entire Ping Man war?

Yan San's fortune is indeed good, but in the later stages of war, there are many people stronger than Zhao Xing.

Take Lu Yuanwei as an example; Zhao Xing estimates his fortune reached at least Yan Six!

Because he hails from Lvliang Zhou; this 'Lv' is another non-royal king; Lu Yuanwei is a direct descendant of a king, inherently bearing great fortune!

Comparing him reveals the dangers of mid-to-high-end battlefields.

"The goal during the Jing Emperor era is development; now, whether in connections, strength, or fortune, I have not yet risen; the Jing Emperor lacks that destiny; this period is not my time to rise and exert influence."

Having sorted everything in his mind and confirmed future plans, Zhao Xing closed his eyes and stored the memories deep within his soul using the Great Dream Spring and Autumn Art.

Normally they would not be recalled, only triggered at critical nodes; of course, one could also actively recall them at certain safe moments.

In the Primordial Qi Era, soul-searching methods are extremely rare; techniques like the Soul-Constraint Straw Man, which are almost forbidden arts, can only obtain memory fragments from the past few days. Yet Zhao Xing remained cautious to prevent any contingency.

In the following time, Zhao Xing cultivated spells within the Spirit Sacrifice Pass.

His short-term focus was placed on the 【True Self Straw Man】, because this spell has endless uses; cultivating it is equivalent to cultivating many spells.

Jing Xin Year 18, January 4th, the Fortune-Transferring Ship arrived at the Spirit Sacrifice Pass.

Lu Tingzhi intended to find Zhao Xing to 'chat about shared hobbies,' but hearing Zhao Xing was in seclusion, he had to give up.

Long Xiao and Chen Shijie exchanged one million war merit for Yin Spirit slots, completing the procedure for the Heavenly Soul to reside in the temple.

Xia Jing did not do this because he did not need to; his father had long ago established great merit, blessing his descendants; as the heir apparent, Xia Jing already enjoyed such treatment.

Wen Shaoyang did not choose the Yin Spirit slot; the others, Jiang Ming and Li Que, did not yet qualify because their performance was not outstanding, and their war merit at the Spirit Sacrifice Pass was not as high as at the Fire Dragon Pass.

Jing Xin Year, January 12th, Qi Yuanjun, Yi Yue, and Nangong Ye advanced unsuccessfully and retreated to defend Linggui City; the 'Dark Soul' and 'Dragon Yang Daoist' seized the opportunity to counterattack, causing the three armies to lose over a thousand men.

Greedy for merit and rashly advancing, yet lacking logistical support, the three main generals finally realized the people of the Holy Spirit Wang Ting were not pure incompetents; previously, it was mostly Zhao Xing's adequate support that created such an illusion.

But because of this incident, the relationship between the three and Liao Ru and Wen Shaoyang dropped to freezing point.

They believed that if Liao Ru had continued to follow up, with Zhao Xing leading the 100,000-strong logistical force, they would not have suffered a setback at Linggui City.

Especially Yi Yue, after retreating, reported the battle situation to the main force on the northern line.

He publicly berated the two main generals, Liao Ru and Wen Shaoyang, as fools.

But mentioning Zhao Xing, he felt Zhao Xing was a talent, and Liao Ru was utterly unworthy of having a logistical general like Zhao Xing.

Qi Yuanjun and Nangong Ye, though not as extreme as Yi Yue, similarly lowered their evaluation of the two main generals, Liao Ru and Wen Shaoyang, when reporting the battle situation.

However, the two's statements were relatively objective.

The Divine Might Army counts as a strong force; Long Xiao, Chen Shijie, and Zhao Xing, in their mouths, all had good reputations.

It was just the main generals Liao Ru and Wen Shaoyang, indecisive and unable to seize battle opportunities.

Qi Yuanjun, Yi Yue, and Nangong Ye are the top three strong army generals on the Seventh Rank War Merit List.

They have wide connections and have broken through the Spirit Sacrifice Pass; naturally, words spoken by them carry great influence.

The reputations of Liao Ru and Wen Shaoyang dropped significantly, while Zhao Xing's reputation rose straight up.

"Yi Yue, with such a violent temper, cursed the main general Liao Ru so severely, yet praised Zhao Xing highly; it seems Zhao Xing truly did an excellent job."

Wei Hong of the Tiger Shark Army, looking at this letter, could not help but smile; he and Yi Yue were close friends.

Yi Yue's offensive stalled; the hundreds of thousands of battle merits he had accumulated were reduced by one hundred and twenty to one hundred and thirty thousand, so he naturally complained to his friend immediately.

"If it is truly as Old Yi said, then this Liao Ru and Wen Shaoyang really do not deserve the immense praise they received earlier," Wei Hong muttered to himself.

After capturing Huolong Pass, the most famous figures were not Zhao Xing, but Liao Ru and Wen Shaoyang.

Zhao Xing's fame came largely from the 'Beheading Qian Shougang'.

Because those two were the main generals, the initial praise was lavished upon Liao Ru and Wen Shaoyang.

However, after the three powerful armies spread the news, Liao Ru and Wen Shaoyang's reputation declined significantly.

"Damn it! Yi Yue, you damn bastard! How dare he speak of me like this!" At Jihun Pass, inside the City Lord's Mansion, Liao Ru jumped up in fury, "When have I ever been a coward? Caonizu Sect!"

Liao Ru was truly trembling with rage at this moment; he took the letter in his hand and tore it into shreds.

Because in the public battle report Yi Yue sent to the main generals of the Yuanhua Army, he bluntly stated that he, Liao Ru, was a coward and an idiot who delayed the critical moment and was unfit to be a general. Yes, he used those very words.

The letter written to a friend was even more unbearable to read!

One can imagine how angry Liao Ru was upon learning this.

"Damn your mother! I am a Sixth-Rank Commandant, and he is only Seventh-Rank, yet he acts like a superior officer criticizing me! I will never reconcile with this man!" Liao Ru roared wildly.

Pu Zhong remained very calm; only after Liao Ru vented his anger did he speak: "Yi Yue is a simple man; at least he scolds you openly, rather than scheming against you behind your back."

"You are still speaking up for him?" Liao Ru snorted, but he did not continue to fly into a rage.

Collapses in cooperation between two armies are common, especially in combinations of strength and weakness.

He agreed with Pu Zhong's words; he also understood Yi Yue's anger.

But understanding is one thing; enduring this bird's anger is another!

"Just do not cooperate in the future," Pu Zhong comforted him. "You also said you are Sixth-Rank; you should have a broader mind than he does."

"If you say nothing and do not need to explain yourself to others, it will naturally show your magnanimity."

Zhao Xing also learned of the news that Yi Yue, the Qi Yuan Army, and others had suffered a failed offensive, and also learned of the matter where Yi Yue viciously cursed Liao Ru.

"This grumpy old brother really cursed the wrong person," Zhao Xing said with a mix of laughter and tears. "It was I who advised Old Chen, Long Xiao, and Xia Jing; the words of these three carried great weight, which is why Liao Ru decided to stop the offensive."

"If anyone should be cursed, it should be me; instead, he ended up praising me to the skies."

However, as the main general, Liao Ru had to bear the praise, and thus he had to bear the slander as well.

Zhao Xing was merely a Commander; how could the curses reach him?

On the twentieth day of the first month, rumors of a ceasefire spread through the army.

On the twenty-first day of the first month, Yang An and Jia Pu issued formal orders to Liao Ru's unit and Wen Shaoyang's subordinates, forbidding them from continuing their advance.

From the twenty-first to the twenty-fourth day of the first month.

On all fronts within the Fire Demon Tribe's territory, experts above the Sixth Rank appeared, including both enemies and allies.

On this day, Zhao Xing also emerged from seclusion underground; he dispatched a straw man, riding a flying boat, to patrol east of Jihun Pass while activating the Heavenly Eye Technique.

He saw that four hundred li east of Jihun Pass, many great cities had appeared; within the cities, the yin energy was overwhelming, and thick dark clouds refused to disperse.

In front appeared yin-soul giants a thousand meters tall, wielding giant axes and eyeing them hungrily.

Zhao Xing glanced from afar; even his Benwo Sect straw man nearly collapsed, so he had to retreat rapidly.

Meanwhile, experts from their own side also appeared.

The Fourth-Rank Martial General Yang An personally arrived at Jihun Pass, accompanied by the Fourth-Rank Lower Strategist Jia Pu, and eight Fifth-Rank Former Generals.

The Xuanjia Army also sent experts; Mingwei Marquis Xiang Kui sent his Assistant Regional Commander 'Zhang Jue', a Fourth-Rank Martial General.

There was also a Fourth-Rank Deputy Military Agricultural Officer 'Li Yuanzhen'.

There were also seven Fifth-Rank experts, including priests, strategists, martial artists, and sorcerers.

Although the Xuanjia Army had only over ten thousand men, because Xia Jing held a special status, the people Xiang Kui sent were exceptionally strong.

Additionally, Liu Tianning and Fan Zhaoli arrived in person.

Among them, Liu Tianning came voluntarily, while Fan Zhaoli was requested by Tian Shan.

The most eye-catching figures were Liu Tianning from the Supervision Department and Li Yuanzhen from the Xuanjia Army.

On Zhao Xing's straw man's return journey, he saw Liu Tianning arrive stepping on clouds, directly sweeping up all their own scouts and patrol boats, including Zhao Xing, and throwing them far to the rear.

"Whoosh~" In just an instant, this gale blew their own thousand-plus people fifty li away.

At the same time, Liu Tianning pointed forward, and his voice traveled across the sky with the gale: "The boundary of the ceasefire is established from this point; whoever dares to cross a single step shall be executed without mercy!"

Boom~

The earth surged like waves; a shadow covered a battlefield line of dozens of li, and then the shadow glowed with a faint light.

Towering trees shot up from the ground, each exceeding five hundred meters in height!

They shone brilliantly on the battlefield; some trees flashed with Lei Ting, others spewed flames... As a powerful expert of the Benwo Sect, Liu Tianning's move directly intimidated everyone.

"All are Seventh-Rank plant troops!" Zhao Xing's eyebrows twitched. "Old Liu is only a Fifth-Rank official, yet his strength is absolutely far beyond Fifth-Rank."

Pure Yuan Projection, able to project this far and sustain so many Seventh-Rank plant troops, is simply horrifying.

Li Yuanzhen, riding a Cloud-Rain Pavilion Boat, followed closely behind, pointed a hand toward the sky, and the dark clouds dispersed, letting sunlight shine everywhere.

A pale green Solar Term Token floated in the air, driving away the dark clouds in the distance.

"The Start of Spring Solar Term Token. The heavenly conditions within a thousand li radius have been altered by him; the Yin Five Elements Earth Realm has become balanced between yin and yang. He must have reached the 'Stable Realm'."

Even from far away, Zhao Xing felt a spring vitality, and a touch of green appeared on the ground; this place had originally been eroded by yin energy, a barren wasteland where not even grass grew.

Now it had been changed by Li Yuanzhen!

Zhao Xing looked at Li Yuanzhen and Liu Tianning. "Old Liu is truly fierce. Li Yuanzhen is Fourth-Rank, and later he will be able to reach the Second-Rank position. Looking at it now, Old Liu's momentum does not fall short of Li Yuanzhen's."

"With their arrival, the ceasefire is truly in effect; it seems this time node has not changed."

In the second month of the eighteenth year of the Jingxin Era, all major war zones of the Pingman Battlefield entered a state of ceasefire.

The Four Wang Ting, the Five Great Cavern Heavens, and various army groups all ceased fighting, delineated defense zone boundaries, and left buffer zones.

A large number of mid-to-high Rank experts took over the battlefield, forming a standoff.

As for the low and mid-tier units, they began to gradually withdraw from the battlefield.

Zhao Xing also boarded the tower ship, crossed the Canglan River, and on the fourteenth day of the second month, returned to the Ten Yang Cave Heaven of the Soldier Realm.

On the sixteenth day of the second month, a Heart of Heaven Hall appeared within each of the five Cave Heavens.

The rewards bestowed by Emperor Jing also began on the sixteenth day of the second month.

Soldiers of different ranks, for the war merits they established during the war, would all be cashed out at this moment, continuing until the third month.

Ten Yang Cave Heaven, Yang City, the Shenwei Army garrison.

Zhao Xing, Chen Shijie, Long Xiao, Yu Yu Ziqi, and others were all staying within the garrison.

Suddenly, a golden light pillar descended from the golden palace in the sky; the light pillar was encircled by coiled dragons and enveloped the four people.

"It has arrived." The four exchanged glances, quickly stepped into the golden light pillar, and were then guided by a mighty force, flying toward the palace in the sky.