The Last Sentinel

Let's look at the center of the Han Dynasty's fortune.

Kneeling on the ground, Old Liu's right hand trembled slightly, and wisps of golden light spilled from his fingertips, gathering in his palm. Then, a long sword, radiating golden light and surrounded by the karmic power of a golden-black dynasty, slowly emerged from his palm.

The long sword had an ancient design, with intricate patterns engraved on its blade. A dragon-shaped pattern was faintly visible within the patterns. On the scabbard were two ancient seal characters: "卯金" (Mao Jin).

"This is... the Maojin Blade!" Hua Xiaobai's eyes widened in shock, and she couldn't help but exclaim in disbelief, "The Records of the Grand Historian states, 'When the world is in chaos, who else but me can wield the Maojin Blade?' This is the Maojin Blade mentioned in the prophecy of the Golden Blade! Legend has it that this is the natal imperial weapon of the Han Dynasty, a divine artifact bearing the karma of the Han Dynasty!"

Standing ten thousand meters away, everyone stared intently at Old Liu, who was holding the Maojin knife. They were all astonished and couldn't help but discuss among themselves, their voices filled with shock and disbelief.

"The birth of the Mao Jin sword heralds the return of the true dragon to Han! This is a prophecy recorded in ancient texts, and unexpectedly, it has come true today!"

"The golden knife carved the city, the Liu family ruled the world! No wonder Old Liu said only the crown prince or heir of the Han imperial family could suppress the Xuzhou Cauldron; it turns out he really is a descendant of the Han imperial family!"

"Without the Maojin Blade, the empire cannot stand firm! This Maojin Blade is a legendary, cursed imperial weapon that has terrified emperors throughout China's millennia-long history! Its appearance signifies the descent of a true dragon and the fall of a dynasty!"

"The golden sword falls to the mortal realm, distinguishing true emperors from false ones! We previously thought Old Liu was just an ordinary player who enjoyed playing the Han Dynasty faction, but we never expected him to be a real Han Dynasty prince, a descendant of Liu Bang, Liu Bei, and Liu Xiu!"

A cacophony of voices rose and fell, a storm raging in everyone's hearts. Legend had it that the Maojin Blade was the symbol of the Han Dynasty imperial family, an imperial weapon bearing the karma and curses of the Han Dynasty. Anyone who wielded the Maojin Blade was of the true bloodline of the Han, capable of awakening the dynasty's karmic forces and possessing the mission to revive it. This blade had only appeared in ancient texts and legends; never did they expect that it would actually appear before their very eyes today!

The astonishment in everyone's hearts was beyond words.

The same thought simultaneously arose in their minds:

What does it mean when a bunch of lousy gamers turn out to be a real emperor?

What does it mean to be someone who was joking and bickering with you yesterday, and then you pointed your finger at him and called the King of Hanzhong an idiot, saying that he "doesn't know anything except how to steal equipment"? He's a true descendant of Liu Bei, the King of Hanzhong!

This stark contrast was hard for them to accept at first, and they felt as if they were dreaming.

Recalling Lao Liu's usual behavior, they suddenly realized that his choice of the Han faction was not out of favoritism, but out of a shared bloodline; his seemingly lazy approach to games was not out of cowardice, but out of forbearance; his apparent greed for money and equipment was merely a habit left over from his life in the city, and he had never truly harmed the interests of his teammates. This clarity and kindness hidden beneath his seemingly carefree exterior was the beginning of his concern for the world.

Just as everyone was stunned, a slightly mocking and sarcastic voice suddenly came to Hua Xiaobai's ear. The voice, transmitted clearly through the communicator, said: "If I were to expect you, Hua Xiaobai, to make empty promises to me, I would have starved to death long ago. When it really matters, I'll have to rely on the Golden Knife Prophecy - Liu Ye of the Great Han!"

Hua Xiaobai was stunned for a moment, then immediately realized that the voice belonged to the Jiajing Emperor!

He hurriedly shouted into the communicator, "Your Majesty? What are you doing here? What do you mean? Did you know all along that Liu Ye was a prince of the legitimate bloodline of the Han Dynasty? Why didn't you tell me before?"

On the other end of the communicator, the Jiajing Emperor's voice came through leisurely, tinged with a hint of smugness: "Under this whole world, there is a kind of cultivation called the Art of the Emperor. The Art of the Emperor emphasizes: first, fate; second, luck; third, feng shui; fourth, accumulating merit; fifth, studying; sixth, name; seventh, appearance; eighth, respecting the gods; ninth, associating with noble people; and tenth, maintaining health! I have cultivated the Art of the Emperor for hundreds of years, and my eyes are so sharp, how could I not see Liu Ye's abnormality?"

"I've seen Liu Ye, and I can't see through him!" Emperor Jiajing's tone became more serious. "In this game world, there are only two kinds of things that I can't see through: one is the top-level divine beasts in the game, which you call 'dragons'; the other is my kind, who have cultivated the art of emperors, just like me."

"Obviously, Liu Ye is not a dragon, so he can only be one of his own kind, a crown prince who has also cultivated the art of emperors! Considering his surname, Liu, it can be broken down into 'Mao Jin Dao' (卯金刀), which, combined with the prophecy of the golden knife recorded in ancient books, makes it easy to guess his identity."

"Later on, I had the Embroidered Uniform Guard investigate Liu Ye's background, and that's when I finally confirmed his identity," Emperor Jiajing said slowly, with a hint of emotion in his voice. "Before he was nine years old, his family were farmers. He lived in the mountains with his grandparents, farming every day."

"Later, his parents took him to the city, but they neglected to discipline him. Between the ages of eight and sixteen, he went astray and became a local thug. He spent his days idly, wandering around, fighting, and chasing girls. He spent so much time in detention that he was numb. He was a complete scoundrel."

"But after he turned sixteen, he suddenly woke up and became a different person. He started to do legitimate work. With a ruthless spirit and extraordinary luck, he built a large leather shoe factory in Jiangnan. By selling shoes, he made a fortune in just a few years."

"Don't be fooled by his imposing presence now, wielding the Maojin Knife. Back when he was selling shoes at a stall, he would haggle with the manager for ages to secure a spot, and he would stay up all night drinking with customers to make a sale. This resilience and tenacity are just like those of Liu Bang and Liu Bei."

The Jiajing Emperor's tone held a hint of admiration. "Later, after he achieved fame and success, he became addicted to online Three Kingdoms games. He played all sorts of Three Kingdoms games, and he always chose the Han Dynasty faction. While others played games for entertainment, he used the dynastic karma in the game to cultivate the art of being an emperor! He may seem carefree, but in reality, every step he took was calculated. This forbearance and insight are beyond the reach of ordinary people."

"Think about it: a child who farmed, a gangster in his early years, a shoe seller in middle age, and then suddenly awakens to royal blood, wields the Golden Knife, and has the opportunity to ascend the throne—isn't this the ultimate template of Liu Bang, Liu Bei, and Liu Xiu combined?"

"Liu Bang was a lowly village head in his early years, idle and carefree; Liu Bei wove mats and sold shoes, wandering from place to place; Liu Xiu was a farmer, low-key and patient. Liu Ye perfectly replicated the life trajectories of these three men. What else could this be but an arrangement of fate?"

Hua Xiaobai suddenly understood, her doubts instantly resolved, but then a surge of anger rose within her. She spoke into the communicator, "What was the meaning of all that pressure you put on me before, urging me to find a way to suppress the Xuzhou Cauldron, and constantly assigning me all sorts of tasks? Weren't you just manipulating me? You clearly knew all along that Liu Ye was the key figure, but you kept it from me!"

"This isn't PUA!" Emperor Jiajing immediately retorted, his tone tinged with helplessness. "I've truly unleashed my trump cards: the Great Wall of Sword Qi and the Karmic Power of the Dynasty! Moreover, I'm not sure when those bastards from the Liu family will awaken the Golden Saber. If he fails to awaken it for a long time, the seal on the Xuzhou Cauldron will loosen, and the sword qi dragon will run rampant. In that case, we will all suffer! I can only urge you to find other methods of suppression and make two preparations while secretly observing Liu Ye and waiting for the right moment for him to awaken."

"Looking back now, I made the right bet! Liu Ye has finally awakened, the Maojin Blade has appeared, the dynastic karma of the Han Dynasty has been awakened, and the crisis of the Xuzhou Cauldron can finally be resolved!" Emperor Jiajing's tone was full of joy and relief as he laughed heartily.

Hua Xiaobai remained silent for a moment, her anger gradually subsiding. Then, she thought of a crucial question and asked through the communicator, "Your Majesty, aren't you worried that Liu Ye will turn around and harm you? He is the Liu family of the prophecy of the Golden Knife, a descendant of the legitimate imperial family of the Han Dynasty, while you are the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty. There is a grudge between you due to the change of dynasties!"

Upon hearing this, the Jiajing Emperor burst into laughter again, his laughter carrying a hint of magnanimity and pride: "This world is vast, and the universe is boundless, capable of accommodating many emperors. Having lived for so many years, I have long since become indifferent to dynastic changes and power struggles. I wish all emperors would return to share the universe and fight together against those external threats! Although Liu Ye is a descendant of the Han imperial family, he has the world in his heart and is not the kind of narrow-minded person. Between us, we will only be allies, not enemies!"

Hua Xiaobai nodded, and her worries gradually subsided.

They recalled the moments they shared with Lao Liu: how he would complain about his teammates' poor skills while playing games, but would always silently shield them from damage at crucial moments; how he would always share the equipment he stole with those who needed it; how he would always say "it's good to just coast along," but would be the first to step forward and help his teammates when they encountered difficulties.

People thousands of meters away looked at the tall figure on the platform and were filled with admiration and emotion.

They knew that from this moment on, their ranks no longer belonged to the carefree King Liu of Hanzhong, but to Liu Ye, the Han prince who wielded the Maojin sword and bore the mission of reviving the Han dynasty.

He looked up at Liu Ye in the center of the cauldron, who was holding the Maojin Blade. The golden-black dynastic karmic power around him was constantly flowing into the Xuzhou Cauldron. The originally violent and restless sword energy dragon gradually became docile, and the pressure on the cauldron was slowly weakening.

Sunlight streamed onto the cauldron platform, reflecting off the Maojin knife in Liu Ye's hand, creating a dazzling light. Liu Ye slowly stood up, his posture as upright as a pine tree, no longer displaying his former carefree demeanor. His cloudy eyes were filled with determination and authority, yet also concealed a trace of gentleness—a compassion for the common people born from his early experiences at the bottom of society.

He gazed resolutely at the starry sky, and with a gentle wave of his Maojin Blade, a magnificent golden divine soul stepped out from Liu Ye's body, its hundred-foot golden radiance suppressing the entire scene.

Upon closer inspection, this spirit resembles that of a prince of the Han Dynasty. His divine body is gilded and translucent, and his brows and eyes are majestic, like those of a Han emperor. His dragon-patterned robes billow in the wind like golden clouds. His black and red crown is embroidered with mountains, rivers, and dragon patterns, and his twelve-tassel crown hangs with shimmering gold. His jade belt is inlaid with red jade, which gleams with light.

He exuded the majestic aura of the Han Dynasty, with dragon energy coiling around him for hundreds of feet. His imposing presence shook heaven and earth. With every gesture, he displayed the dignified and powerful demeanor of a crown prince who would rule the world. Wherever his golden light shone, all evil would bow down.

Liu Ye pointed his Divine Soul Blade towards the Bronze Tree: "The foundation of the Han Dynasty will be continued by me; the glory of the Xia Dynasty will be protected by me! I will—create the Han Dynasty four times!"

At the same time, the sword-qi dragon coiled on the bronze tree let out a long dragon roar, as if it had finally found its destined emperor!

At this moment, he was no longer the old Liu, the King of Hanzhong who loved to steal equipment, but Liu Ye, the prince of the Han Dynasty who was burdened with a mission and had the world in his heart. He was the man destined to rise from the streets and eventually shoulder the heavy responsibility of restoring the Han Dynasty.