The Last Sentinel

"What, what is that?!"

A startled shout pierced the silence above the Sword Qi Great Wall, its echoes reverberating across the five-thousand-meter-long wall with barely concealed tremor.

The soldier who was shouting was wearing gilded technological armor. The magnetic patterns on the armor flickered violently due to his excitement. He pointed to the sky, his Adam's apple bobbed, and even his breathing became labored.

His companion followed his gaze, his pupils suddenly contracting, and after a long pause, he managed to utter two words: "A tree!"

"Have you ever seen a bronze tree taller than the 5,000-meter-high Great Wall of Sword Qi?" the soldier roared, his voice filled with disbelief. "This tree is probably more than 50,000 meters tall! No, 100,000 meters! You can't even see the top! It's probably going to reach the outer reaches of the carbon-based universe!"

The 5,000-meter-high Sword Qi Great Wall was the last line of defense for the Ming Dynasty to protect the starry sky.

The city walls are woven from flowing silver sword energy, and every brick and stone is filled with a ghostly blue starlight. Despite hundreds of years of war, they remain indestructible.

At this moment, the city walls were lined with soldiers clad in ancient-style, gilded, technologically advanced armor. The patterns on the armor shimmered with a pale golden magnetic light, which complemented the sword energy emanating from the city walls.

But the soldiers, who were usually so tough and resolute, were now all lying on their backs with their mouths wide open, exclaiming in shock and fear.

Suddenly, everyone gasped in unison, looking up in horror at the sky—there, a bronze tree ten thousand meters tall stood majestically, its gnarled branches like pillars supporting the heavens, so thick that it would take hundreds of people to encircle it, its branches engraved with ancient and intricate patterns, as if bearing the weight of millions of years of vicissitudes.

The dense branches extend in all directions, drooping down like tiny sparks of light. Each spark that falls creates a faint ripple in the starry sky.

The ancient tree's root system was even more magnificent, piercing through the thick clouds and deeply rooted in the brilliant starry river, drawing power from the starry river. An indescribable, majestic pressure descended from the sky, causing the flowing silver sword energy between the city to tremble, and even the air seemed to freeze.

The soldiers in the camp were so intimidated by this overwhelming power that their scalps tingled, and they gasped in astonishment, almost dropping their weapons.

Among the crowd, the young general Li Wenzhong was speechless. He stood tall and straight, wearing a general's armor embroidered with golden dragons. His sharp eyes were fixed on the terrifying bronze tree, his eyes filled with shock, doubt and unease.

He subconsciously reached for the communicator at his waist, a thought rising in his mind: he should call the old Taoist priest Jiajing and ask for the next instructions.

But then he thought back to a few days ago when he had been severely reprimanded by Jiajing for failing to detect the enemy's movements in time; the emperor's fury still lingered in his mind. If he were to call now, would Jiajing go berserk upon learning of this sudden turn of events?

Just as Li Wenzhong was hesitating and struggling internally, the communicator on his waist suddenly emitted a crisp notification sound: "Ding! Huang Jin, the chief scribe of the Imperial Household Department, requests a call."

Huang Jin! Li Wenzhong's heart skipped a beat, and his tense nerves relaxed slightly.

Huang Jin was Emperor Jiajing's childhood playmate and one of his most trusted confidants. He was known for his honesty, integrity, and lack of malice, and was highly regarded in court. With him relaying the message, perhaps Jiajing's anger could be somewhat appeased.

Li Wenzhong dared not delay and hurriedly answered the phone, his tone respectful yet familiar: "Eunuch Huang, how have you been? I wonder if His Majesty has any decree for me to call at this hour?"

Huang Jin's urgent voice came from the other end of the phone, tinged with anxiety and helplessness, and a hint of barely perceptible panic: "General Li, stop with the pleasantries! There's no time to lose. Activate the Sword Qi Great Wall immediately and channel all the dynastic karma accumulated within it over hundreds of years into that ancient bronze tree in front of you! His Majesty is pressing us hard; there's no room for delay!"

Upon hearing this, Li Wenzhong's brows furrowed instantly. His tone was urgent and tinged with anger, revealing the straightforwardness and worry of a military general: "Eunuch Huang, this is absolutely unacceptable! The power of the Sword Qi Great Wall is the foundation of our Great Ming Dynasty, the last line of defense against the Shogunate army. At most, it can only support the Sword Qi Waterfall once! If we give it all to this bronze tree of unknown origin, how will we defend ourselves when the enemy attacks in the future? This tree appeared in the starry sky out of nowhere, and if it rashly provides energy, who can bear the consequences if it causes trouble?"

Before Li Wenzhong could finish speaking, a clear and melodious chime suddenly came from the other end of the phone. It was the signal that the Jiajing Emperor was angry. The familiar sound made Li Wenzhong's heart tighten. It seemed that when Huang Jin was talking to him, the Jiajing Emperor was listening in!

Immediately afterward, Huang Jin's voice, strained and filled with helplessness and distress, revealed the sincerity of a loyal man: "General Li, how could this old servant not know the stakes involved! But this is His Majesty's personal decree, and the Emperor's will cannot be disobeyed! His Majesty said that even if we have to fight to the death at the Great Wall of Sword Qi, we must protect this ancient bronze tree. If anything goes wrong, His Majesty will bear full responsibility. Please do as he says. This old servant bows to you!"

Upon hearing the words "the Emperor's will is inviolable," Li Wenzhong's last trace of hesitation vanished instantly. Suppressing the turmoil in his heart, his tone was solemn and resolute, displaying the loyalty and duty of a military general: "This subordinate obeys the decree! Rest assured, Eunuch Huang, I will immediately issue the order to activate the Sword Qi Great Wall and dedicate all karmic energy to the Bronze Ancient Tree! However, after this battle, the Sword Qi Great Wall will have no more trump cards. I hope you will report back to His Majesty and make plans accordingly!"

After hanging up the phone, Li Wenzhong turned around and gave a few instructions to the soldiers beside him in a deep voice.

The guards dared not delay and immediately turned around to relay the orders. One command after another flowed from the city wall to every corner of the Sword Qi Great Wall. The entire Great Wall instantly became busy. The sounds of armor rubbing, commands being relayed, and machinery operating intertwined, breaking the previous shock and silence.

Soon after, the beacon towers on the Sword Qi Great Wall burst into flames!

Countless beacon towers stretched along the five-kilometer-long city wall, their blue and white flames burning fiercely, the pillars of flame shooting straight into the sky, turning the originally dark sky clear and bright, even overshadowing the brilliance of the Milky Way.

Within the blue-white flames flowed the aura of the Ming Dynasty's karma, fiery and powerful, allowing every soldier who approached to feel the immense power contained within.

Inside the central command tent, a massive karmic crystal floated in mid-air. Inside the crystal, the blazing blue-white karmic energy of the Ming Dynasty surged forth like a torrent, flowing along pre-set patterns and pouring into the ancient and weathered city walls.

The once somewhat dilapidated city bricks, under the influence of this surging karma, have gradually transformed into a pure blue and white hue, gleaming brightly. From afar, they resemble a blue and white Great Wall shrouded in icy air currents, exuding a cold and majestic aura.

Just as waterfalls of karmic energy, like cascading floods, covered the entire Sword Qi Great Wall, towering, mysterious immortal cities suddenly appeared atop the Sword Qi Great Wall!

A thick fog of karma shrouded the starry sky, outlining the contours of the Twelve Towers and Five Cities. Some ancient buildings appeared and disappeared in the fog, exuding a mysterious and ancient aura.

The Karmic Waterfall grew thicker, the mist gradually dissipated, and the outlines of the buildings became clearer. The flying eaves, brackets, city gates, and towers gradually emerged from nothingness into reality, as if they had traversed millions of years to reappear in this starry sky.

These buildings are not newly built jade pavilions; the bricks and stones are all a dark, ancient jade color, and the walls are covered with ancient patterns etched by time, each pattern hiding the traces of the years.

Where the eaves have crumbled, the frost and snow of ten thousand years have settled. The outline of the city is heavy and desolate, and the engravings on each building hold the marks of a bygone era. Each tower and pavilion has accumulated the weight of countless years. At a glance, one feels as if these ancient cities have stood in the Milky Way since time immemorial, hiding a vast sea of ​​dusty past events.

From the crowd, a learned soldier suddenly shouted, "One, two, three... a total of twelve towers and five ancient cities! Could this be the Jade Capital in Heaven that Li Bai spoke of! Twelve towers and five cities!"

"It must be! Twelve towers and five cities! Not one more, not one less!" The soldier beside him immediately echoed, his tone full of excitement and exhilaration. "I never thought the legendary Jade Palace in the heavens actually existed. To see it today, I can die without regrets!"

"The sacred land of Baiyujing has reappeared! My lord, is my lord going to fight the Shogunate?" The soldiers' emotions were instantly ignited, and they discussed among themselves, their eyes flashing with fanaticism.

In their hearts, Baiyujing was the place where immortals lived, a symbol of power and glory. Its appearance undoubtedly gave everyone a shot in the arm, allowing them to temporarily forget the shock and fear brought by the ancient bronze tree.