High Martial Arts: Gains one point of health per second, sweeping across the heavens.

Many martial artists, especially members of the martial arts association, had tears in their eyes at this moment, and some even knelt down and wept on the spot.

Chen Mingyang was not only the pillar of Tiandu Province, but also a mentor and role model in the hearts of many martial artists. His sacrifice was a heavy blow to everyone.

Lord Li and Chairman Jin (Vice Chairman of the Tiandu Province Martial Arts Association) quickly came forward, both with immense grief and disbelief on their faces.

"Young friend Su Jie, senior Sword Venerable, this..." President Jin's voice choked with emotion as he looked at the familiar figure, tears streaming down his face.

Su Jie carefully handed Chen Mingyang's body to Chairman Jin, his voice hoarse and heavy: "Chairman Chen was trying to save me and protect the defense line when he was ambushed by a royal-level monster... He fought to the death."

He didn't mention the sordid affairs of those two wealthy scions. At this moment, letting the hero rest in peace and letting the world remember his sacrifice is the most important thing.

The Sword Venerable added in a deep voice, "Fellow Daoist Chen shed his last drop of blood for the human race, sacrificing himself heroically. His funeral arrangements should be handled with the highest honors and announced to the entire Federation, to comfort his spirit and inspire future generations."

Lord Li nodded heavily, wiping away the tears from the corners of his eyes, and solemnly said, "Please rest assured, both of you, we will definitely handle this well! Chairman Chen is a hero of our Tiandu Province, and even more so, a hero of the entire human race!"

Soon, Chen Mingyang's body was respectfully placed in a makeshift mourning hall in the Martial Arts Association's main hall, surrounded by pure white flowers. A huge federal flag draped over his body.

The news spread like wildfire throughout Tiandu Province and even further afield.

Countless condolences poured in like snowflakes, with major powers, martial arts masters, and even the Federation Central Committee sending their deepest condolences.

The mourning hall was open to the public, and long lines of people came to pay their respects.

There were elderly veterans with white hair, young martial artists who had received guidance and kindness from Chen Mingyang, and many more ordinary citizens who came spontaneously to offer flowers and bow deeply to express their respect and sorrow for this guardian.

Su Jie did not immediately go into seclusion. He changed into a clean set of black clothes and stood silently in a corner of the mourning hall, just like an ordinary mourner.

Looking at the figure lying quietly among the flowers, the scene of Chen Mingyang shielding him from a fatal blow kept replaying in his mind, and he recalled his last words.

The Zhao family also arrived. The elder leading the group looked rather uneasy. After offering the sacrifices, he hurriedly left, clearly already aware of the fate of his good-for-nothing son. However, under these circumstances, they dared not say anything.

Su Jie watched their performance coldly, his heart unmoved.

He knew that some people were genuinely grieving, some were just putting on an act, and some... were probably plotting something in their hearts. But none of that mattered at this moment.

He stood there for a whole day and night, like a silent guard.

Sword Venerable did not leave either. He sat in a quiet room outside the mourning hall, both to protect Su Jie and to bid farewell to his old friend.

The following day, a solemn and grand memorial service was held in the central square of Nanjing, with sirens blaring throughout the city in mourning. Chairman Jin tearfully recounted the life of Chairman Chen Mingyang, and countless people spontaneously gathered, their cries echoing through the air.

When Chen Mingyang's ashes were placed at the very top of the Heroes' Cemetery, Su Jie bowed deeply three times to the brand-new tombstone.

"President Chen, may you rest in peace."

"I will continue the journey you did not finish."

"As long as I, Su Jie, have a breath left in my body, I will never allow demonic beasts and those parasites to trample upon the human race you protect!"

He made a vow in his heart.

Su Jie stood before Chen Mingyang's grave for a long time, until the setting sun cast a long shadow of him.

He slowly straightened up, but the pent-up frustration in his chest was hard to dissipate.

The Sword Master appeared silently beside him and said calmly, "Are you unwilling to accept this?"

"Yes." Su Jie did not deny it, his voice low, "If I weren't so weak, Chairman Chen wouldn't have had to take that blow for me..."

"Foolish." The Sword Master's tone was calm, yet it carried the vicissitudes of life he had seen through. "Chen Mingyang saved more than just you."

He saved humanity's future hope, the belief he upheld throughout his life. If you become obsessed with this, you are truly betraying it.

Su Jie's body trembled slightly, and his tightly clenched fist slowly loosened.

Just then, a girl's voice, filled with suppressed grief and indignation, rang out from behind them:

"You're Su Jie?"

Su Jie and the Sword Venerable turned around and saw a thin girl standing there, dressed in plain white mourning clothes with red eyes.

She was about fifteen or sixteen years old, and her features bore a resemblance to Chen Mingyang. At this moment, she was staring intently at Su Jie, her small fists clenched until they turned white, and her body trembled slightly with excitement.

A staff member from the martial arts association nearby quickly explained in a low voice: "Lord Su Jie, Senior Sword Venerable, this is Chairman Chen's granddaughter, Miss Chen Xiaoyu."

The chairman's son and daughter-in-law sacrificed their lives for the Federation in their early years, leaving only this small bloodline.

Chen Xiaoyu ignored everyone else and walked step by step to Su Jie. She tilted her head back, tears welling up in her eyes, but she stubbornly refused to let them fall: "My grandfather, in the end, did he feel any pain?" Her voice was trembling with sobs, but it was unusually clear.

This question was like a needle, piercing the softest spot in Su Jie's heart unexpectedly.

He seemed to see again the last look President Chen Mingyang gave him, the entrustment and relief in his eyes.

Su Jie paused for a moment, then shook his head slowly and solemnly: "President Chen left with a smile. He protected everything he wanted to protect, including me and the Federation."

Chen Xiaoyu finally couldn't hold back her tears, and large drops rolled down her cheeks. But she wiped her face hard, and with a heavy nasal voice, stubbornly asked, "They all say that Grandpa left to save you! Is that true?"

"Yes." Su Jie readily admitted, looking at her with clear and firm eyes, "President Chen did it to save me, to repel the royal-level monster, for the millions of people behind him, and for this land beneath our feet."

He is a hero, a true hero. I'm so sorry I didn't have enough power sooner…”

"I don't want to hear apologies!" Chen Xiaoyu suddenly interrupted him, her voice rising, carrying the sharpness and sorrow unique to a young girl. "Grandpa promised me he would watch me get into martial arts university and teach me even more powerful martial arts techniques... He broke his promise!"

She could no longer hold back, squatted down, buried her face in her arms, and burst into tears, her thin shoulders trembling violently.

The cries echoed through the silent cemetery, filled with helplessness and the despair of losing a loved one.

Su Jie looked at her, his heart aching. He didn't say anything more to comfort her, but simply stood silently by her side, like a silent guardian.

The Sword Master sighed softly and turned his head away.

After a while, Chen Xiaoyu's crying gradually subsided.

She stood up, her eyes red and swollen, and took out a simple silver ring with the Federation emblem from her bosom. It was the storage ring that Su Jie had personally given to Chen Mingyang on the northern battlefield.

She clutched the ring tightly, as if holding onto the last warmth of her grandfather, and walked up to Su Jie, her voice hoarse, "This is Grandpa's storage ring. The Federation people will be coming to take it back soon. But until then, I'll handle what's inside."

As she spoke, with a slight thought, a strange crystal, about the size of a fingernail, with what appeared to be nebula flowing inside, appeared in her palm.

She placed the crystal into Su Jie's hand, her fingertips turning slightly white from the force.

"This was obtained by my grandfather during his martial arts exam. He said it might contain a great secret, but he was unable to fully decipher it."

Chen Xiaoyu sniffed, trying to make her voice sound louder, "He once said that if he... he was gone, he wanted me to entrust it to someone he could trust."

She looked up at Su Jie, her eyes blurred with tears: "I don't know if you're the one. But Grandpa believes in you, so I'll believe you this once! If you dare to betray Grandpa, I... I'll haunt you even after I become a ghost!"

After saying that, she looked at Su Jie with all her might, her eyes filled with a complex mix of sadness, resentment, and a heartbreaking loneliness.

Finally, she clutched the storage ring tightly, turned around, and ran away without looking back, her white figure appearing particularly lonely in the setting sun.

Su Jie gripped the crystal in his hand, which still carried the warmth of the girl's body and was slightly cool to the touch, feeling its immense weight.

The Sword Master, who was standing to the side, slowly spoke up and explained: "The Federation grants each officially certified War God-level expert the right to use a specially made storage ring, which is both an honor and convenient for carrying out missions."

The God of War has fallen, and the ring was recovered by the Federation, but the personal belongings within it belong to his descendants. This crystal should be from Fellow Daoist Chen's private collection.

Su Jie looked in the direction where Chen Xiaoyu disappeared, then looked down at the black crystal in his hand that seemed to contain a sea of ​​stars, and finally looked at President Chen Mingyang's tombstone and bowed deeply.

"President Chen, may you rest in peace."

"The human race you protect, the granddaughter you cherish, as long as I, Su Jie, have a breath left, I will never let them suffer any injustice."

"I will walk the path you did not finish, until the moment I can truly shoulder the responsibility of this world."

His voice was not loud, but it sounded like he was making a solemn vow, which drifted away on the evening breeze to the place where the hero rests.

Sword Venerable nodded slightly as he looked at the rekindled, more determined flame in Su Jie's eyes.

This child's character is already formed.

After bidding farewell to the Sword Master, Su Jie returned to Linjiang City, but he did not immediately return to the training room of the Martial Arts Association.

The sacrifice of President Chen Mingyang, Chen Xiaoyu's sorrowful eyes, Chen Feng and his twelve team members, and countless martial artists who sacrificed their lives on the Northern battlefield...

All of this weighed heavily on his heart like a boulder, making him feel an unprecedented sense of weight.

Although he had already made a vow before Chairman Chen's tombstone, even the excitement of his upcoming condensation of the tenth meridian was temporarily overshadowed by this heavy feeling, and he needed some time to calm his mind.

He walked on unconsciously, and when he came to his senses, he found himself standing in front of the familiar "Old Wang's Secret Recipe Roasted Meat Rice" shop.

The shop was still filled with the enticing aroma of roasted meat, and Boss Wang was busy wielding a wok, sweating profusely.

Seeing Su Jie standing at the door, he paused for a moment, then gave a simple smile, wiped the sweat from his brow with the towel hanging around his neck, and greeted, "Little Su? Come in and sit down! Is the battle over? I'm glad you're alright, I'm glad you're alright!"

Su Jie silently walked into the store and sat down in his usual spot by the window.

There were still a few scattered customers in the shop, but they all stopped what they were doing at that moment.

Their gazes were fixed on Su Jie, their eyes filled with indescribable awe and heartfelt gratitude.

News of the fierce battle on the northern border had already spread like wildfire throughout Linjiang City with the return of the surviving warriors.

Everyone already knows that this seemingly ordinary young man is the one who turned the tide of battle on the battlefield, slaying king-level monsters and even killing one emperor-level monster.

That legend who saved countless lives and protected this city.

Seeing his solemn expression, with an unyielding weariness and heaviness between his brows, people tacitly remained silent, watching him without daring to disturb him.

Boss Wang quickly brought over a super-deluxe version of roast meat rice that was almost overflowing, placed it in front of Su Jie, and sat down opposite him, asking with concern, "What's wrong, kid? You look so pale."

"Didn't we win the battle? I heard you did a great job, even slaying a royal-level demon beast! Now, who in all of Linjiang doesn't know your name?"

Su Jie picked up his chopsticks and took a couple of bites of the fragrant roasted meat rice. What he usually found incredibly delicious now tasted bland.

He put down his chopsticks, sighed, and said in a low voice, "Uncle Wang, we won... but the price was too high."

Looking out at the bustling crowd, he said softly, "Many people bravely sacrificed their lives to save me, even Chairman Chen Mingyang died fighting to save me."

Boss Wang's smile froze. He was silent for a moment, then sighed heavily, "Chairman Chen was a good man, a guardian angel of our Tiandu Province. It's such a pity." He looked at Su Jie, "So, you're blaming yourself, kid?"

Su Jie didn't deny it, clenching his fist: "If I could be stronger, perhaps..."

"Nonsense!" Boss Wang suddenly interrupted him, his voice not loud, but carrying a clarity unique to ordinary people. "Do you think that just because you can kill a royal-level demon beast, you've become a god, capable of handling anything without the slightest mistake?"

Su Jie was taken aback and looked at Boss Wang.

Boss Wang picked up the teapot on the table, poured Su Jie a cup of water, and softened his tone: "Little Su, Uncle Wang is a rough man and doesn't understand the grand principles of martial arts like you who can fly and escape."

But I know that everyone has their limits. Those martial artists and Chairman Chen chose to save you because they thought you were worth it!

They felt that you were more deserving of their lives than their own, so you could do greater things and protect more people!

He pointed out the window: "Look at all these people outside, me, the guests who come to eat, the neighbors... Why are we able to sit here peacefully to eat and work?"

"Isn't it because of people like Chairman Chen, you, and so many other martial artists who sacrificed themselves, who are standing up for us?"

"Sacrifice...it's very painful, Uncle Wang knows." Boss Wang's voice was a little hoarse. "My brother didn't make it back during that beast tide three years ago either."

But is simply feeling sad enough to help? No! Those who are alive must also exert the same effort as those who have passed away, protecting even more what they wanted to safeguard! That's the right thing to do!

"Chairman Chen entrusted his hopes to you, not to see you here looking dejected and blaming yourself!"

He wants you to stand tall, carrying his strength, and keep moving forward! To go higher and farther! So that those damned monsters will never dare to invade again!

Boss Wang's simple, even somewhat rough, words struck Su Jie's heart like a heavy hammer.

Yes, wallowing in self-blame and grief won't change anything. Chairman Chen sacrificed himself not to cause internal strife.

What Su Jie possesses is the strongest martial arts system in all the heavens, with unlimited potential!

What he should do is turn his grief and anger into strength, and become stronger as soon as possible, strong enough to protect everything and prevent such sacrifices from happening again!

Having figured this out, Su Jie felt as if most of the boulder in his chest had been lifted.

His eyes regained their sparkle, and he picked up his chopsticks, beginning to shovel large mouthfuls of rice into his mouth, saying indistinctly, "Uncle Wang, you're right! This rice...it smells so good!"

Watching Su Jie wolf down his food, Boss Wang smiled with satisfaction: "That's right! You need to eat well to have the energy to work! Uncle will give you more if you're still hungry!"

After devouring the roast meat rice in a whirlwind, Su Jie felt brimming with energy. He solemnly said to Boss Wang, "Uncle Wang, thank you. I understand."

Boss Wang waved his hand: "No need to thank me, just come and patronize my business more often! Go on with your work!"

Su Jie nodded vigorously, turned and left the shop, walking steadily toward the Martial Arts Association.

It's time to condense the tenth martial vein! He wants to use even greater power to fulfill his promise to Chairman Chen, to those martial artists who sacrificed their lives, to Chen Xiaoyu, and to everyone on this land!