The Last Sentinel

Li Wenzhong placed his hands on the Great Wall of Sword Qi, where karmic energy surged and flowed. He could clearly feel the immense power emanating from the wall and the warmth brought by the flow of karmic energy in his palms.

He gazed at the Jade Palace, the twelve towers and five cities rising above him on the tide of karma, his heart filled with worry—how would he deal with the enemy invasion when the dynasty's karma was exhausted? Yet at the same time, his face was filled with an indescribable longing, yearning, and envy.

The Jade Palace in the heavens, with its twelve towers and five cities, was touched by an immortal on my head, who granted me eternal life!

These are verses that have been passed down for thousands of years, and they represent the aspirations of countless people.

Li Wenzhong had grown up listening to the legends of Baiyujing since he was a child, and he never expected to see its projection in person today. The shock and excitement in his heart were indescribable.

He clearly remembered that these twelve towers and five cities came from the "Records of the Ten Continents Within the Seas" in the Classic of Mountains and Seas, and were the legendary abodes of immortals.

The five immortal cities are Xuanyong Golden City, Langfeng Jade City, Yaochi Jade City, Taishi Spirit City, and Zhiqi Yingnian City, each with its own unique legend and power; the twelve heavenly towers are Kaitian Tower, Chengxing Tower, Qishen Tower, Ningdao Tower, Shuanghua Tower, Taiyin Tower, Chixiao Tower, Changsheng Tower, Wangchen Tower, Guixu Tower, Duxian Tower, and Wangu Tower. The names of the towers have profound meanings and contain the true essence of cultivating immortality and seeking the Dao.

But Li Wenzhong also knew that what he saw before him was merely a projection of Bai Yujing. The real Bai Yujing had disappeared into the annals of history along with the last generation of immortals like Yu Ji of Nanhua during the late Han Dynasty, and no one had ever seen its true form again.

"Clang—clang!"

A crisp sword sound suddenly rang out, breaking the crowd's discussion and sighs.

Li Wenzhong's eyes narrowed, his previously hopeful gaze instantly turning cold and resolute. He said in a deep voice, "It's time!"

Before he finished speaking, Li Wenzhong suddenly brandished the Great Ming Divine Dragon Banner in his hand. This banner was made of black silk and embroidered with a lifelike golden dragon, with flowing silver sword energy surrounding the dragon, and the corners of the banner fluttering in the wind.

Li Wenzhong waved his command flag left and right. With the opening and closing of the flag, the karmic waterfall on the city wall suddenly changed, and countless silver-white immortal swords condensed from the karma. Each immortal sword was shining brightly, with ancient patterns engraved on its blade, like the swords of celestial beings, exuding a sharp sword aura.

As Li Wenzhong waved his banner, thousands of immortal swords soared into the sky, their brilliance mingling with the beacon fires and flowing silver sword energy on the city walls. Their overwhelming power swept across the entire starry sky, making the surrounding air sharp and intense. The soldiers on the city walls looked up, their eyes filled with awe and shock, as the cries of swords echoed through the heavens.

Beneath the Great Wall of Sword Qi, countless streams of silver sword energy gradually converged, eventually forming a massive waterfall of sword energy that surged upwards against the flow of the starry sky. The silvery-white sword energy tore through the starry firmament, carrying an unstoppable momentum, piercing through the gates of the twelve towers and five cities, and merging with the ancient power within the gates.

The instant the waterfall of sword energy erupted from the gates of the five cities on the twelfth floor, a 30,000-meter-long divine dragon of sword energy roared and appeared! Its scales were formed from fragments of cold light, shimmering with a chilling luster under the starry sky; its whiskers were sword threads piercing the air, fluttering in the wind, carrying a sharp edge; its eyes burned with starlight, like two dazzling, cold stars, overlooking everything below. The dragon's roar shattered the clouds and echoed through the starry sky for a long time, carrying an immense pressure.

The sword-qi dragon stretched its long body, soaring and circling freely in the vast starry sky. Its tail swept across, bringing with it gusts of sword wind. Meteorites in the starry sky were shattered by the sword wind, turning into countless fragments.

Then, the divine dragon, carrying the overwhelming sword momentum, soared upwards, its body surrounded by layers of flowing sword energy that bloomed like silver ripples, shining brightly across the entire starry sky. Even the ancient bronze tree, ten thousand meters tall, was made even clearer by the light of this sword energy.

At this moment, the afterglow of the mythological era is reflected in the starry sky of the technological age. The gilded mechs on the city walls and the spirited, sword-wielding dragons, seemingly incongruous, are so harmonious and complementary. The brilliance of technology and the grandeur of mythology intertwine to create a breathtaking scene that will be unforgettable for everyone who witnesses it.

The sword-qi dragon circled the Twelve Towers and Five Cities three times, seemingly drawing power from them or completing some kind of ritual. Then, it suddenly turned its head, its dragon eyes shooting straight at the bronze tree that was already over 100,000 meters tall. A sharp light flashed in its eyes, and then it charged towards the bronze tree with unstoppable momentum.

"boom!"

The moment the sword-qi dragon collided with the ancient bronze tree, a deafening roar resounded, causing the entire starry sky to tremble violently. The bronze branches and trunk were enveloped in snow-white sword energy, the ancient tree patterns and the sharp sword light reflecting each other, bursting forth with dazzling brilliance. The dragon's body coiled around the ancient tree, cascading down its branches to its roots that plunged into the galaxy. The sword's might merged with the ancient tree's vast and imposing presence, causing the entire heavens to tremble violently, even slowing the rotation of the galaxy.

As the power of the sword-qi dragon continuously flowed into the bronze tree, it seemed as if the final piece of the puzzle had been completed. The entire tree released a strong bluish-white radiance, which was both soft and magnificent, dispelling the darkness of the starry sky and reflecting on Hua Xiaobai's face not far away.

Hua Xiaobai stood on a suspended platform, his figure slender, yet his eyes unusually resolute. Suddenly, the Jiajing Emperor's slightly hoarse but still authoritative voice rang in his ears. The voice, transmitted through the communicator, carried imperial power and a hint of disappointment, echoing through the starry sky: "I've emptied the Sword Qi Great Wall of resources for you! Centuries of dynastic achievements, all piled onto that bronze tree of yours! Success or failure, it all comes down to this! If you succeed, your merits and demerits will cancel each other out; if you fail, you'll return to the imperial prison to face your punishment. I'll give you a private cell so you can reflect on your reckless nature!"

Hua Xiaobai's eyes were bloodshot as he stared intently at the ancient bronze tree above, which was beginning to glow. His eyes were filled with determination and resentment, and his tone was stubborn and resolute: "Your Majesty, please trust me this once! The Nine Cauldrons are cauldrons of destiny, and this bronze tree is formed from fragments of the Xuzhou Cauldron. Logically, only a true dragon emperor can suppress it. Although I am not a king, nor do I have the destiny of a true dragon, this sword qi dragon is formed by me using the sword qi of the Great Ming Dynasty. Although it is an illusion, it still possesses the might of a dragon! Relying on this dragon might to maintain order, I will surely be able to stabilize this ancient bronze tree and will not let Your Majesty's efforts be in vain!"

Jiajing's voice carried a hint of weariness and vicissitude, along with an undisguised worry, revealing the emperor's helplessness: "An illusion is ultimately just an illusion. It may deceive others, but it cannot deceive this ancient bronze tree, much less the destiny of heaven and earth. You and I both know that the ancient dragons have long since vanished in the flames of war. There are no more true dragons in the world today. This sword-qi dragon is nothing but a mirage; how can it be compared to a real dragon?"

Hua Xiaobai took a deep breath, his tone growing increasingly firm, filled with a do-or-die determination: "Your Majesty, even if we concede that this ancient bronze tree is merely a fragment of the Xuzhou Cauldron, not a complete cauldron of destiny, it's 'fake'; my Sword Qi Heavenly Dragon is condensed sword qi, it's also 'fake'. Fake against fake, real against fake, that's enough! At least it can temporarily stabilize it, buying us time to repair the Xuzhou Cauldron and find the true dragon bloodline, it's better than sitting and waiting for death!"

Emperor Jiajing was silent for a moment, his tone heavy with worry, revealing the emperor's deep contemplation: "But what if the Xuzhou Cauldron is completely repaired? The Xuzhou Cauldron corresponds to the destiny of the Han Dynasty. To suppress it, we must either find a true dragon emperor, a descendant of the Han Dynasty, or find a living dragon. In this world today, true dragons have vanished, and the descendants of the Han Dynasty are scattered in all directions. How easy is it to find them? We have always relied on ourselves, but this time, we have gambled too much!"

Hua Xiaobai gazed at the increasingly dazzling bronze tree above, a hint of confusion flashing in her eyes, but it was quickly replaced by determination. Her tone carried a mixture of relief and resolve: "Your Majesty, man proposes, God disposes. We have given our all, done everything we could. What remains is to trust in fate, and to believe that the fortunes of our Great Ming Dynasty, spanning hundreds of years, will not be extinguished! Even if the road ahead is difficult, I will fight with all my might to protect this bronze tree, and to protect our Great Ming Dynasty!"

As the words fell, the brilliance of the bronze tree grew even more dazzling, and the bluish-white light enveloped the entire starry sky. The figure of the sword-qi dragon gradually merged into the ancient tree, becoming indistinguishable.

The projections of the twelve-story building and the five cities, illuminated by the light, became increasingly illusory, as if they were about to return to nothingness.

Standing atop the city wall, Li Wenzhong gazed at the scene, his heart still filled with worry, yet also with a glimmer of hope. He knew that a gamble concerning the fate of the Ming Dynasty had only just begun.