The Monster is Coming

Chapter 458 The Embers Burn Forever
When Cang Xuan stepped onto the front lines, it was like an ancient sword that had been sealed for many years, suddenly drawn from its sheath.

The gleam of swords illuminates the battlefield of blood and fire.

He was assigned to the "Broken Blade" assault regiment, an elite force responsible for attacking and defending dangerous areas, whose members were all top-notch psionicists and gene warriors.

The soldiers of the legion were somewhat skeptical of him, who always wielded an iron sword, had mediocre life strength, and came from a "martial arts" system that had long been deemed useless.

But this doubt turned into shock when Cang Xuan participated in actual combat for the first time.

During a crucial offensive at a strategic location, Cang Xuan followed the army corps to the front lines.

Upon arriving at the target location, the Eclipse warriors surged forth like a tidal wave. Their distorted figures devoured the light, and the mental pollution they emitted made even the most resilient psionicists waver and find it difficult to resist.

The soldiers of the Corps resolutely threw themselves into battle.

However, the psionic storms had little effect on the Lightbearer warriors. Even the attacks from the Gene Warriors could only cause their forms to disintegrate temporarily before they quickly reformed in the darkness.

Just then, Cang Xuan joined the battle with his sword.

He took a calm step forward and casually swung his iron sword forward.

There was no earth-shattering display, only a pale golden arc of sword intent, like the rising sun dispelling the morning mist, silently spreading forward.

Wherever the sword's aura passed, the despairing dark bodies of the Eclipse Clan instantly vaporized, like ice and snow thrown into a furnace.

Along with the mental pollution that disturbs people's minds, it was also eradicated.

With a single sword strike, a corner of the battlefield was emptied.

The once noisy and chaotic battlefield fell into a moment of deathly silence.

Cang Xuan did not linger; his figure moved across the battlefield, each swing of his iron sword carrying an invisible rhythm.

When parrying, the energy torrent of the Corrosion Clan, powerful enough to tear apart the alloy, transforms into a gentle breeze.

When the sword was drawn, both the materialized dark claws and the invisible mental impact were annihilated by the pale golden sword intent.

With his iron sword, he drew an invisible line on the battlefield.

Within those boundaries, he is the truth; all laws return to stillness, and all evil cannot invade.

The ability of the Eclipse Clan to disable many of the Dreamweaver Clan's proud systems was utterly ineffective in the face of his sword strikes.

What he held in his heart was the unwavering belief in protection that had taken root in the ruins of Wucheng.

Besides his compatriots still fighting behind him, there was also the civilization that carried all his warm memories, even though this civilization had abandoned him.

This pure and unwavering sword spirit resonated with the rich energy of heaven and earth in the "Land of Dreams," transforming into an indestructible barrier and the sharpest blade on the battlefield.

One battle, two battles, ten battles... In the war zone where Cang Xuan was located, the battle line, which was originally retreating step by step, miraculously stabilized because of his presence alone, and even began to push back.

When the good news reached the command level, everyone was incredulous.

They couldn't understand how an ordinary iron sword, devoid of any spiritual energy, could slay the Eclipse warriors, whom even the psionic cannons couldn't completely destroy.

How could a member of a clan with mediocre physical attributes unleash such terrifying combat power?

As it turns out, Cangxuan's power has far exceeded their imagination.

His appearance carved out a path of hope on the battlefield.

Cangxuan's iron sword transformed into a golden guardian heavy sword at this stage, and his obsession with protecting others grew even stronger.

However, the threat posed by the Light-Eater Clan cannot be eliminated simply by stabilizing one front.

Cangxuan's sudden emergence only temporarily stabilized the situation.

The cruelty of war cannot be summarized simply by holding onto a corner of the land.

Cang Xuan soon witnessed an even more horrific scene.

He received a mission to support a neighboring city. When he and his legion broke through the darkness to arrive, the emerging city, named "Dawn," had already been swept away by an endless tide of darkness.

A city, tens of millions of its people, have vanished.

Cang Xuan stood before the city ruins, his five fingers gripping the iron sword tightly, as if he could hear the desperate cries of countless compatriots in their final moments.

At that moment, he realized that the pure "sword of protection" was pale and powerless in the face of a war of civilizations.

An unprecedented surge of violent emotion erupted from the deepest part of his heart like magma.

It contains a deep-seated hatred for the Eclipse Clan, anger at the limitations of one's own power, and a profound sense of sorrow at the collapse of civilization, which one is powerless to reverse.

"kill!"

He roared to the sky.

At this moment, the sword in his hand, which had always shone with a warm, pale golden light, began to vibrate and hum. The pale golden light, representing "protection," quickly faded, the blade narrowed, and finally turned into a blood-red color stained with blood.

The sword of slaughter was thus formed.

When Cangxuan stepped onto the battlefield again, his fighting style had completely changed.

He no longer stayed in one place, but transformed into a streak of blood-red lightning and took the initiative to enter the area where the Eclipse Light Clan was most concentrated.

The sword aura domain unfolded, filled with a terrifying killing intent capable of annihilating all life.

The crimson sword aura swept across the land, and wherever it passed, the warriors of the Eclipse Clan were instantly torn apart as if by countless invisible blades.

Year after year, the war continues.

His war zone became the only hope in a desperate war.

The rout army drew closer, and displaced refugees sought refuge behind the force of his sword.

Over time, titles such as Sword God and Guardian God began to circulate.

During this time, Cangxuan's sword became faster, more ruthless, and more decisive.

He could clearly feel that his sword technique changed along with his emotions.

The power grew wildly at an unprecedented rate during the carnage, and the sword aura expanded continuously, reaching hundreds of meters, thousands of meters...

He grew stronger with each battle, becoming invincible within his domain.

But an individual's invincibility is still insignificant in the face of a war that sweeps across an entire civilization.

His domain could not cover the entire front, and his power could not reach other cities that were constantly falling.

He could hold out for a time and in a place, but he couldn't stop the collapse of the entire civilization.

The more Light-Eater he killed, the more intense his destructive desires, fueled by a sense of powerlessness, became.

Finally, after decimating the Eclipse Clan army, he stood atop a mountain piled high with corpses, gazing at the Eclipse Clan surging towards him once more in the distance.

A crazy idea began to grow in his mind.

Since we can't hold the line, let's destroy the source.

He no longer looked back at the war-torn Dreamweaver Clan territory, but turned his gaze into the depths of darkness.

The crimson iron sword in his hand sensed his determination. The poignant crimson color collapsed and condensed, growing deeper and deeper until it finally transformed into an extreme, dark purple that devoured all light.

The sword of destruction was forged here.

Without saying goodbye to anyone, Cang Xuan, alone and carrying the Sword of Destruction, charged headlong into the territory of the Eclipse Clan.

A new battlefield where survival is almost certain.

The moment you step into the territory of the Eclipse Clan, it feels as if you have fallen into eternal darkness.

There is no direction here, only the relentless surge of Eclipse Clan warriors.

Like the tides born of darkness itself, wave after wave, endlessly.

Cangxuan's sword became the only light in this darkness.

He forgot about time, forgot about his exhaustion, and even forgot about himself; all he had was the sword in his hand.

The fragile body reached its limit in the endless killing, and only the rich energy of heaven and earth in the "Land of Dreams" forcibly maintained its vitality.

Each breath felt like swallowing liquid spiritual essence, sustaining him to continue his endless slaughter.

His consciousness floated and sank in the torrent of memories.

The petals of Wucheng, his grandfather's teachings, the swordsmanship passed down to him by dozens of generations, the good news broadcast on the radio... these images supported his will and also catalyzed his destructive sword intent.

kill!kill!kill!

Under the intense destruction and extreme emotional tempering, his sword aura expanded wildly at an unprecedented speed.

Thousands of meters, tens of thousands of meters... Finally, a terrifying, dark purple destructive domain, covering an area of ​​100,000 meters in radius, suddenly unfolded around him.

Within the domain, any warrior of the Eclipse Clan who stepped in would instantly vanish into nothingness, leaving not even a speck of dust behind.

Cang Xuan didn't know how much time had passed; it could have been months or years.

Until a certain moment, the sword he was swinging suddenly stopped.

The killing spree, which had continued like an instinct for countless years, was abruptly interrupted.

The inertia caused him to stagger forward a few more steps before he could barely regain his balance.

He subconsciously looked down at the hand holding the sword.

What came into view was a withered, aged arm covered with bulging veins.

A few strands of hair that fell in front of my eyes were not the jet-black hair I remembered, but a dazzling snow-white.

He paused slightly, raised his hand to brush his cheek, and touched loose skin and deep wrinkles.

Only then did he belatedly realize that waves of exhaustion were rising in his body.

He slowly raised his head and looked around.

The dark purple sword light of destruction was slowly dissipating, revealing the environment that had been completely cleansed.

As far as the eye could see, there was only a vast, desolate world.

The earth was covered with black dust that was weathering and dissipating, and there was nothing at the end of the field of vision.

He actually... single-handedly wiped out the entire territory of the Erosion Clan.

Victory?

Did he hold on?
Cang Xuan, his body exhausted and white-haired, like an old man nearing the end of his life, strolled across this tomb of civilization he had personally created.

But he felt no joy, only endless exhaustion.

It's time to go back.

He returned to the land of his people, the place he had fought for.

Cang Xuan embarked on his journey home.

When he traversed the long road and returned to Hope City, which the Dreamweavers had built in the "Land of Dreams" in his memory, he couldn't help but freeze in place.

Before my eyes, there was only endless ruins.

The ruins of the once towering floating city are now half-buried in weathered sand and gravel, resembling the skeleton of a giant beast.

The once bustling streets have now been swallowed up by vegetation, leaving behind only fragments of broken metal and crystals as evidence of the existence of civilization.

"Where are you... going?"

A dry, hoarse voice squeezed out of his throat, trembling.

He began to wander and search through this graveyard of civilization.

Entering the ruins of a building that could be vaguely identified as once an important institution, we lifted up broken alloy beams and dug through the accumulated dust.

Finally, he found a psychic energy recorder that was relatively well preserved.

The protective runes on it had long since failed and were covered in a thick layer of dust.

He pressed the activation button with trembling hands, and the broken instrument screen lit up, playing a series of images filled with static.

But Cangxuan's gaze was fixed on the date that was still flashing in the lower right corner of the screen.

The numbers displayed were 200 years different from the numbers he knew.

"Two hundred years..."

He muttered to himself, and the information recorder in his hand fell to the ground with a "thud" and shattered into pieces.

He destroyed the Light-Eater Clan.

But the civilization he was protecting had already... ceased to exist long before he won his victory.

He had been killing alone for two hundred years, only to end up with nothing.

Cang Xuan stood hunched over on a pile of ruins, looking up at the desolate sky, his white hair fluttering in the wind.

He won.

But he lost everything.

Leaning on the iron sword that had been with him all his life, he began to wander through the ruins like a mourner.

He traversed every nook and cranny of the ruins, eventually reaching the entrance to the underground city known as the "Final Barrier."

The massive alloy gate was twisted and deformed, revealing a deep, dark passageway inside. He stepped inside, his footsteps echoing in the empty, deathly silent tunnel.

When he arrived underground, he saw the dilapidated Dream Weaver Palace.

The dome, which embodies the highest technological achievements of the Dreamweaver Clan, has collapsed, and rubble has buried most of the area. Only an information stone tablet stands in front of the main hall.

The above is compressed spirit rune information.

He stretched out his wrinkled hand and stroked the cold surface of the monument, trying to feel the lingering warmth of civilization, but only felt the coldness of the stone carving.

Looking around at the end of this dream-weaving civilization beneath his feet, Cang Xuan felt a surge of sorrow.

He once thought that the sword in his hand could protect everything.

In the end, however, he discovered that at the end of the sword path, he was all alone.

He looked at the iron sword in his hand and suddenly felt very tired.

After standing there for a long time, he raised his hand and gently placed the iron sword against the stone tablet.

With a slight exertion.

The iron sword, which had been indestructible in the torrent of the Eclipse Clan, snapped in two like an ordinary withered branch.

The broken sword fell to the ground with a crisp sound.

"No more practice."

The voice was very soft, as if it were being spoken to someone, or as if it were talking to oneself.

As he turned to leave, his figure appeared particularly frail amidst the ruins.

Those tireless sword swings, the swordplay forged in blood, and the obsession with protecting everything, all ultimately turned into a broken iron sword before the stone tablet.

The sword is still there, but there is no one left who needs its protection.

"It's time to rest."

He spoke softly, then turned and walked deeper into the main hall.

This world has countless rare and precious treasures that can prolong his life; if he so chooses, he can certainly continue living.

But the purpose of prolonging life is to continue experiencing.

And he has already experienced everything he was supposed to experience.

What was protected has been lost.

The battle is over.

The last reason to draw the sword has been buried along with civilization.

The answer to why we live has disappeared.

The act of continuing to live itself loses its meaning.

The story has reached its final period; forcing a turn of the page will only leave behind a pale and empty repetition.

His choice was to let his life end amidst the ruins of civilization.

Write the final chapter for yourself.

Upon reaching the depths of the main hall, Cang Xuan intended to rest here forever, but he discovered that the space he was in suddenly rippled.

Countless lights and shadows surged in like a tide, weaving together a flowing scroll around him.

The scroll of history slowly unfolds, recording every moment from the birth to the heyday of the Dreamweaver Clan.

Technical classics floated in the air, embodying the wisdom of countless generations; artistic treasures flowed in the light and shadow… Cang Xuan stared blankly at this suddenly awakened ocean of knowledge.

He reached out and gently touched one of the floating illusion stones, discovering that it contained the psionic system architecture of the Dreamweaver Clan.

Then I touched another piece, which contained records of the pinnacle of genetic engineering techniques.

Withered fingers brushed over the illusion stones that recorded the secrets of the spiritual energy path, Cang Xuan's eyes were full of doubt.

I don't understand why my people would leave behind the fruits of their civilization here.

Just then, a phantom figure identical to his slowly coalesced from the depths of the light and shadow.

The phantom was dressed in the same simple linen clothes, which were identical to his appearance.

"shadow?!"

Shadow smiled slightly, his tone mirroring his own, yet even gentler:
“That’s right, I am the manager of this illusion… You’ve finally returned, Cangxuan.”

"Why leave this illusion intact?" Cang Xuan went straight to the core, his gaze fixed on the shadow:

"Civilization has perished, so what's the point of preserving these things?"

The shadow did not answer directly, but raised its hand and waved, causing the surrounding light and shadow to change abruptly.

The light and shadow visuals depict the struggle of the Dreamweaver civilization in its desperate situation.

"My birth stems from the choice made by the top scholars of the Dreamweaver system at the end of civilization."

"As the last barrier was about to be breached, we realized with certainty that civilization had lost all hope of continuing... We were plunged into unprecedented pain and confusion."

The changing light and shadows around them revealed the scene of the Dreamweavers before the end of the world.

Scholars debated fiercely in the underground shelter, with some advocating for total destruction and others proposing to seal away the core knowledge and await the slim possibility of revival.

"But in the end, we chose another path, preserving the entire memory of civilization and sealing it away as a gift."

"A gift, for whom? The enemy?" Cang Xuan asked in a hoarse voice.

"Who it is doesn't matter; it could be an enemy or a passing traveler."

The shadow smiled and nodded, and with a wave of its hand, a completely different light and shadow unfolded.

It showcases the homeland civilization that was once conquered by the Dream Weavers and is recorded in history books.

"Before we conquered our home world, the world map was made up of countless small civilizations. We conquered them and also integrated them... Their poetry, their skills, their understanding of the world... did not completely disappear with the passing of their peoples, but were absorbed by us and transformed into a part of our Dream Weaving civilization's heritage, like a stream flowing into a river."

Another illusion stone lit up, displaying scenes of the Dreamweavers learning and imitating the technologies of conquered civilizations in their early days.

“True inheritance does not necessarily have to be fixated on the continuation of bloodlines or the survival of a specific ethnic group. We have witnessed the cruelty of the dream world and realized that these requirements are difficult to achieve... The only feasible thing may be the inheritance of the memory of civilization, but as long as the seeds of civilization are still drifting, the dream-weaving civilization has not truly died... This is different from the reproduction of flesh and blood, it is immortality on the spiritual level.”

Cang Xuan stood there, stunned.

The shadow continued:
"Have those forgotten civilizations truly vanished?" The shadow pointed to a phantom stone:

"This is the technology of the bloodline civilization. The life-origin weaving technique they pursued throughout their lives, the ultimate goal they failed to reach despite exhausting the strength of their entire race, has finally blossomed in our hands."

"From an absolutely rational perspective, those civilizations that we conquered have indeed been lost in the long river of history, but their civilizational memories and unfulfilled dreams have been integrated into the Dream Weaving Civilization and become our target."

The surrounding light and shadow shifted, revealing how the Dream Weaver Civilization fused the wisdom of various civilizations into one, creating unprecedented brilliance.

"We have become the continuation of their dreams, like a relay race, carrying their unfinished dreams to distant places they had never reached."

“Every civilization that is integrated is like a seed that takes root and sprouts in our soil, blossoming into new flowers. Their demise is not the end, but rather a continuation in another form.”

As Cang Xuan gazed at the eternal civilization imprints within the Dream Weaving Realm, a sudden realization dawned on him.

When I upheld the way of the sword back then, wasn't I also upholding a seed that was about to be forgotten?

"Therefore, I am the final choice of the Dreamweaver Civilization, to let the seed of civilization continue to drift in the river of time. We do not know where it will drift to, which civilization will pick it up, or whether it will grow into something we cannot recognize. It may even merge with the seeds of other civilizations and sprout new branches... But the part of the memory that belongs to the Dreamweaver Clan will continue to exist along with this drift."

The shadow paused, its gaze hardening:

"The inheritance of flesh and blood has an end, and the rise and fall of dynasties has an end, but the inheritance of spirit does not. It is not limited by bloodline or ethnicity. As long as there are people who can draw strength from these memories, civilization has not truly perished."

Shadow's words were like a key, unlocking the door in Cang Xuan's heart that was about to close.

After two hundred years of solitary slaughter, Cang Xuan thought that everything he had protected had vanished, and that the end of the sword path was nothingness.

“My swordsmanship…” Cang Xuan lowered his head and looked at his wrinkled arms.

The shadow followed his gaze to his arm and smiled slightly:
"Your swordsmanship is the last bright spot of the Dream Weaver civilization. It began with the perseverance of Martial City, was nurtured by the land of dreams, and was tempered in the blood and fire of war. It contains both gentle protection and fierce killing, as well as resolute destruction... After you left, your story inspired countless warriors in the name of heroes. It should not be buried."

Cang Xuan raised his head, and the confusion in his eyes gradually faded.

He recalled the loneliness he felt while holding fast in Wucheng, and the dedication he had shown while practicing swordsmanship in the land of his dreams.

This way of swordsmanship is no longer just about power; it is a reflection of his life and a microcosm of the Dream Weaver civilization.

Even when abandoned by the times, he never gave up his commitment.

"Let the seeds of swordsmanship continue to drift..." he murmured to himself, a glimmer of light rekindling in his eyes.

The shadow looked at him and slowly nodded:

"The inheritance of civilization is never a static replication, but a constant rebirth in the process of drifting. Your swordsmanship may be given new meaning by future inheritors, or it may merge with the power of other civilizations to give birth to a completely new form, but the part that belongs to you is the root, which will remain forever in it and become an indelible mark in the long river of time."

After he finished speaking, the shadow began to become transparent and gradually blended into the surrounding light and shadow.

Cang Xuan slowly straightened up, and as he raised his hand, the broken sword on the base of the stone tablet outside the main hall flew towards him.

After acquiring it, the broken iron sword transformed into specks of spiritual light in his hands, eventually coalescing into a giant sword.

The sword has once again transformed into a protective sword, but it is now even more solid and weighty than before.

The sword's flowing pale golden light is restrained, embodying Wucheng's centuries-long perseverance, its attachment to its homeland and civilization, and its regret and realization that it ultimately failed to protect everything.

This sword is a vessel carrying the "Tao" that embodies a memory of civilization and a legacy of spirit.

Cang Xuan gripped the sword hilt, feeling the protective sword intent flowing within it, then slowly closed his eyes and sat cross-legged against the stone pillar.

With his last will, he will combine the dreamlike realm with the power of his swordsmanship to extract the "shadow" that embodies the essence of his swordsmanship, and integrate the three core sword insights—protection, slaughter, and destruction—into the dreamlike world.

Waiting for a destined "next person".

Just as the Dream Weavers once embraced the legacies of other civilizations, he also poured his own "Tao" into the river of time.

time flies.

Sunlight streamed through the collapsed dome, falling on Cang Xuan with a warmth as gentle as the spring sunshine in Wucheng.

A faint smile played on Cang Xuan's lips as his head drooped slightly, his breath dissipating peacefully like a candle flame that had burned out.

This time, he left with peace.

He witnessed the twilight of civilization, and also personally sowed a seed for the wisdom of civilization, including his own "Tao," that would drift toward the future.

The physical body returns to dust, and attachments vanish into nothingness.

But the sword remained.

……

The flashback ended there, and Tu Hu's vision returned to the lush green hillside.

He remained standing in the same spot, gripping the greatsword tightly in his hand, his mind churning with the magnificent yet ultimately silent life of Cang Xuan.

What came to mind were Cang Xuan's words:
"The sword will not grow old, but the person who wields it will. No matter how strong the swordsmanship is, it cannot withstand the erosion of time."

When I first heard these words...

He naively believed that this was an old man's lament about the finiteness of life and the infiniteness of the universe, and the helplessness of individual power in the face of time.

Until I witnessed Cangxuan's story with my own eyes.

When Cang Xuan swept through the land of the Shi Guang Clan and returned with his aged body, he was met with a civilization that had long since turned into ruins.

Two hundred years have passed, and it has not only changed his appearance, but also the entire Dreamweaver civilization.

It's not just the body that wields the sword that ages.

When the object protected by the sword turns to dust, the sword loses its foundation.

Even with extraordinary abilities, there is nowhere left to go.

Like a tree without roots, or an arrow without a target.

This is the cruelest erosion of time: the sword is not dulled, but it has lost its meaning.

But at the end of civilization, Cangxuan found a way to defy time.

He transformed his swordsmanship into a seed of inheritance, casting it into the river of time.

It doesn't matter who inherits it, nor is it obsessed with recreating the past. It only seeks that this "way" can transcend the gap in civilization and be reborn in unknown soil.

Tu Hu lowered his head and stared at the heavy sword in his hand.

The protective intent flowing through the sword felt incredibly heavy at this moment.

It receives the lifelong legacy of a master, and is also the last gift of a dying civilization, a trust that transcends the boundaries of time.

Taking a deep breath, Tu Hu gripped his sword tighter, then looked at the guide floating beside him and asked the question that had been bothering him:

"Guidance, just how strong is Elder Cangxuan?"

[Physically weak and easily defeated, but using sword intent as a guide, he has cultivated his own unique rules, achieving a level of destructive power that is divine. Overall assessment: Void God Realm.]

"Wow, that old man is really awesome."

　To update a chapter early and make the plot more coherent~
　
(End of this chapter)