CHAPTER 2227: CHAPTER 2225: THE ABSENCE OF THE WILL OF THE SAINT

"Elimination evaluation? What’s that?" Peter Brown asked in confusion, looking at the group.

The Saint of Heaven Origin explained, "It’s a rule set by the people of the Second Heaven. Once every ten thousand years, an evaluation is conducted for all worlds. It is based on the number of Saints and Quasi Saints. If the standard is not met, the failing world is forcibly compressed and divided up among neighboring worlds that meet the standard. For billions of years, the continuous shrinkage of our human world has been directly related to this. Alas, if compression happens again, several Divine Veins from our human world will be extracted, and at that time, the reduction of Spiritual Qi will make it even harder for anyone to become a Saint."

Through their explanations, Peter, now satisfied, finally learned about some of the events taking place. He hadn’t expected such an extraordinary range of issues to exist.

Peter now understood why they hesitated to discuss the loss of Holy_Path in public. If the people, who constantly sought to enhance their abilities, were to hear such news, it would truly demoralize them.

The Saint of Southland said solemnly, "In this upcoming evaluation, our consequences will be severe. Two Saints have already fallen, not to mention the demise of so many Quasi Saints and Void Saint-level experts. The extraction of many Divine Veins is inevitable, and at that time, even maintaining our alignment will be difficult."

Upon hearing about the alignment issue, Peter was about to ask further questions when the Saint of Heaven Origin began his explanation: "Although we are Saints, we require copious amounts of Holy_Path energy to sustain ourselves. This energy comes from Divine Veins. If numerous Divine Veins are extracted, replenishing our consumption during confrontations with opposing forces will become incredibly challenging, and our combat capabilities will steadily decrease."

No more words were necessary; Peter was already aware that the consequences were gravely serious. If events spiral in such a direction, even these few Saints will soon perish.

The space fell into an eerie silence.

After a while, Peter finally spoke, "Leave the matters concerning the Giant Beings to me!"

He also knew that only he could take meaningful action; relying on these Saints was no longer viable. If he hadn’t appeared, the human tribe would likely face extinction.

Of course, when Peter heard about the Divine Vein supplying them energy, he once again glanced at his own Elixir Sea. At this moment, Peter realized how different he was from ordinary Saints. They depended on the human world to absorb energy, but he was not bound by such constraints. He had his unique energy system. Not only did his Elixir Sea provide energy, but he could also utilize the energies of any other world he entered.

Seeing Peter take the initiative to propose solving the crisis of the Giant World, everyone’s faces shone with joy. They felt that the human world’s crisis might truly only be resolvable by Peter.

"Do you need any assistance?" the Saint of Heaven Origin asked.

Peter gave a bitter smile. Considering the dire state of these Saints, what kind of help could he realistically expect from them?

"There’s no need for help; I’ll infiltrate the Giant Beings’ world and act according to the situation."

"Ah, Peter, there’s one more thing. During every ten-thousand-year evaluation, strong individuals from the Second Heaven always arrive, and they’ll recruit some disciples to take back with them."

Peter had been wanting to ask about this and now responded curiously, "Previously, I understood that reaching the peak of cultivation meant becoming a Saint. But now there’s mention of a Second Heaven. What’s the story there?"

The Saint of Heaven Origin replied, "From the perspective of people in the First Heaven, Saints are the pinnacle—but that’s merely glorified self-deception. Our so-called sainthood is limited to this world; we are Saints only within its boundaries. Compared to the true experts of the Second Heaven, we are insignificant!"

Peter countered, "But Saints are immortal, aren’t they? How could they be insignificant?"

At this point, the Northern Region opponent shook his head and said, "We have merely touched upon the Holy_Path of this world. Each world has its own distinct Holy_Path. Do you truly believe becoming a Saint grants permanence? That would be a fundamental misunderstanding. We are mere novices at the threshold of sainthood, but there exist countless levels above us. We do not possess eternal life. True eternal life means standing upon the ultimate summit, where none can kill you—that alone constitutes immortality. Besides, Saints face the inevitability of the Decline Tribulation."

The influx of information was overwhelming!

Peter realized how little he understood. Now, another challenge—the Decline Tribulation—had emerged.

"What is the Decline Tribulation?" Peter asked.

The Saint of Heaven Origin explained, "Every ten million years, a Saint faces a Decline Tribulation. When the tribulation arrives, the Saint dissipates into the world itself, merging with the Holy_Path of their domain. If they wish to ascend to sainthood again, they must undergo ten thousand years of Red Dust Heart Refinement before they can return to their previous state. Although their full consciousness remains intact, their power plummets significantly."

Peter nodded slightly. If that’s the case, any participation in battle would doubtless result in inevitable death.

The Saint of Heaven Origin sighed deeply, "Our tribe lost two Saints in rapid succession because they were undergoing Red Dust Refinement. Once fallen, they cannot return to their positions."

With so much information now clear, Peter finally understood that being a Saint wasn’t as glorious as expected. They merely lived longer than ordinary people.

Of course, if there were no wars, they could indeed enjoy eternal life. Unfortunately, the constraints and frequent wars left them no chance.

"Has there been any Saint, after ascending, who chose to ignore their world’s matters and hide away somewhere?" Peter pondered aloud.

The Saint of Heaven Origin responded, "Saints who ascend from this world are intrinsically bound to it. Thus, no matter what, they can only live or perish alongside it. However, there is one alternative: venturing into the Second Heaven. Once there, they are no longer restricted by the limitations of this world."

The Saint_of_Kunlun shook his head and added, "But, what does that change? In the Second Heaven, Saints are as common as stray dogs. Newly-ascended Saints are easily enslaved or slaughtered. That realm houses mighty figures from all races, and how long can one truly survive after entering it? Moreover, the Decline Tribulations in the Second Heaven are even harsher. Without continual advancement, they still face inevitable death."

The space grew silent once again.

Peter asked, "If we could acquire a significant number of Divine Veins, could we produce more Quasi Saints? Could anyone potentially ascend to sainthood?"

The Saint of Heaven Origin replied, "Increasing the number of Quasi Saints is certainly possible. However, achieving sainthood is another matter entirely. Our tribe lacks the Will of the Saint, and even if it were not absent, ascending to sainthood is no simple feat. Still, if we manage to kill even one Saint, it would provide our world with some renewed hope."

Peter thought to himself that reclaiming the Will of the Saint must be a priority—without it, failure was inevitable.