The Last Sentinel

Golden light, like molten gold being poured out, enveloped the entire world so completely that even the air itself seemed to solidify into a thick curtain of light.

The crowd below bowed their heads, closed their eyes and meditated. Their auras merged with the golden light, as if they had stepped into a mysterious and secluded realm, where all was silent except for the faint sound of their minds resonating with the heavens and earth.

"Hahaha--"

A loud, powerful laugh suddenly erupted, like a thunderclap breaking through the clouds, instantly shattering the silent atmosphere and causing the surrounding golden light to ripple.

Red King's heart skipped a beat, and he hurriedly looked up. The person who burst into loud laughter was none other than Zhuge Mengde, the Eighty-Year-Old Brother.

He slowly stood up, his broad back ramrod straight, his head slightly bowed, and his deep voice, tinged with a sense of vicissitude and arrogance, sighed: "I would rather betray the world than let the world betray me! If there were no me in this world, I wonder how many would claim to be emperors, how many would claim to be kings!"

Before he could finish speaking, a completely different, gentle voice suddenly came from Eighty Brother's mouth, clear and melodious like jade striking each other, yet tinged with a hint of melancholy: "The brilliant Milky Way cannot illuminate the gloom in the Prime Minister's heart; the bright moon and stars cannot change the Prime Minister's burning ambition. I have exhausted all my efforts, yet the Prime Minister still has not been able to understand the true meaning of 'the Duke of Zhou spitting out his food to welcome guests, and the world turning to him.'"

Red King's pupils constricted sharply, his gaze instantly narrowing as he muttered incredulously, "Zhuge Liang! It's actually Zhuge Liang! He's hidden inside Brother Eighty! How is this possible! AI, analyze the current situation immediately!"

The AI ​​on Red King's wrist instantly glowed with a pale blue light, and a cold AI voice followed, clearly explaining: "Target: Brother Eighty, codename Zhuge Mengde. He had a younger brother when he was young, but the younger brother was frail from childhood and died when Brother Eighty was seven. The two brothers had very different interests. The younger brother admired Zhuge Kongming all his life, and Brother Eighty missed his younger brother deeply. Afterwards, in online games, he often named himself after his brother's preferences. Unexpectedly, this longing that transcended life and death attracted the double blessing of Cao Cao and Zhuge Liang, ultimately making Zhuge Mengde, the only prime minister of the late Eastern Han Dynasty."

Before the AI's analytical voice had faded, amidst the formation, Brother Eighty's arrogant and domineering voice once again resounded, each word ringing out with a resolute determination: "Treachery and strategy vie for supremacy, heroic talent sweeps away the smoke of war! How many in this world can understand my lofty ambitions? Enough, half a lifetime of entanglements, today it's time to sever them! From now on, you go your way, I'll go mine, and we'll owe each other nothing!"

That gentle voice rang out again, its tone filled with helplessness and determination: "Those who walk different paths cannot make plans together. We've spent half our lives together, and today we must part. The celestial bodies are shifting, the east wind is rising; let's see who can seize control of this world!"

The next second, two terrifying divine soul lights suddenly erupted from Zhuge Mengde's body, completely different from Liu Ye's only divine soul before. The two phantoms slowly walked out of Brother Ba's body, their temperament and physique were completely different, but they were equally domineering.

Two divine souls stood back-to-back atop Eighty Brother's head, their figures ethereal yet exuding an aura of dominance. Simultaneously, they raised a hand and pressed it against the golden light and shadow walls before them. Two distinctly different voices perfectly overlapped, resounding throughout heaven and earth: "Awaken a soul with a soul, remember your original intention, for there have been predecessors!"

Before the handsome and refined spirit of Zhuge Liang, the thick golden wall shattered with a deafening roar. The shattered fragments, like countless flying jewels, refracted dazzling light, dyeing the entire sky a dreamlike gold.

A hand, smooth and warm like jade, slowly emerged from the void behind the shards, precisely grasping Zhuge Liang's hand. A light yet melancholic voice echoed from the void, carrying a sentiment that transcended a thousand years: "Thirty years have passed since I left Longzhong, yet I return still singing the Liangfu Ballad. Fifty-four years have passed, but the brilliance of the Han Dynasty remains undiminished. Oh, vast Heaven, you have not been unkind to me, nor have I!"

The instant Zhuge Liang's illusory image clasped that hand, an extremely dazzling celestial light suddenly erupted, completely obscuring the golden light in the world. A figure of extraordinary grace slowly reconstructed above everyone's heads—it was none other than the Immortal Zhuge Liang.

He wore a moon-white Taoist robe with star patterns, the hem fluttering in the wind, creating wisps of mist. A jade hairpin held his jet-black hair in place, his face as bright as the moon, his eyes reflecting the entire galaxy, deep and far-reaching. He held a white feathered star fan lightly in his hand, his figure standing atop the ethereal clouds, serene and otherworldly, like a banished immortal untouched by worldly concerns.

A phantom image of a swan hovered around it, its wings covered in flowing light, like an ancient celestial bird, inseparable, circling and emitting a clear and melodious cry. Immortal Zhuge Liang gently waved his feather fan, his brows and eyes calm, observing the cycle of heaven and earth, his heart containing the universe and the way of heaven, every move he made affecting the great power of heaven and earth.

Red King stared intently at the Immortal Zhuge Liang above him, his tone filled with shock and solemnity: "This aura... 3.0! At least level 3.0 power! Just how powerful is his future self that he could lend him such immense power!"

Before he finished speaking, Immortal Zhuge Liang stepped forward slowly. The phantom of the swan around him suddenly spread its wings and transformed into a giant elephant beast, which steadily supported his body. Then the giant elephant shook its hooves and carried Immortal Zhuge Liang into the sky, breaking through the golden sky.

"No one in the world understands my loneliness; I am as lonely as snow!"

Cao Cao's blood-red soul looked up at the departing figure of the immortal Zhuge Liang riding a swan, and let out a desolate and unwilling sigh, the blood-red light around him dimming slightly.

I understand you!

A more delusional and arrogant laugh suddenly erupted, filled with a desperate and fanatical resolve: "War rages across the land as we vie for supremacy; I will aid my weak ruler in unifying the six kingdoms! Born a subject of Han, I will die for the Han dynasty! Today, I will join you in shattering these shackles of heaven and earth!"

A sudden gust of cold wind swept across his face, and countless pale white shards of glass appeared out of thin air, tightly enveloping Cao Cao's soul. The next moment, the shards shattered and cracked, revealing a majestic and imposing figure: Cao Cao rode a pure white warhorse, clad in the magnificent armor of a marshal, its intricate patterns gleaming coldly. His Seven Star Dragon Abyss Sword pointed straight to the heavens, and his voice shook the surrounding lands: "All who belong to Wei, follow me into battle! Crush the path ahead, sweep away a thousand armies!"

boom--

A thunderclap descended from the sky, and dark lightning coiled down like a dragon, instantly engulfing Dian Wei, one of the Tiger Warriors. Dian Wei was clad entirely in black and gold demonic armor, its surface covered in sharp spikes, exuding a terrifying and ferocious aura. With a single step, his figure suddenly swelled to a height of ten feet; ten steps later, he had transformed into a hundred-foot-tall behemoth, like a demon god descending to earth, his voice booming like a bell: "Three thousand vanguards lie subdued in the north, ten thousand white horses have all fallen! I laugh as I brandish my sword to the heavens, let the winds blow from the east, west, south, and north! My lord, do not panic, E'lai is here to aid you!"

The hundred-foot-tall demonic shadow suddenly leaped into the air, soaring into the sky, its body crackling with black lightning, its aura shaking the heavens and the earth.

boom--

"Hahaha!" Xu Chu's maniacal laughter followed immediately, and a dimensional-tearing storm suddenly erupted around him, howling winds and flying debris. His beard and hair stood on end, his eyes flashing with ferocity, and he roared, "The winds and clouds rise, dragons and tigers come to my aid! My strength can uproot mountains, my spirit can overwhelm the world, brave warriors will capture dragons and bring them back to the four seas! Today, I will use these mountains as my weapon to break through all obstacles!"

Before he finished speaking, Xu Chu, enveloped in a black storm, leaped into the air, carrying a massive, towering mountain on his arms. The mountain was covered in lush vegetation and jagged rocks, which he lifted with ease and charged fiercely toward the top of the bronze tree.

Immediately following, countless figures burst open, releasing bubbles of the river of time. Within these bubbles were their past selves—the youthful exuberance, the unwavering perseverance in the face of dire straits, the indomitable spirit of fighting on despite repeated defeats. These past selves reached out, extending a helping hand to their present selves. The moment their palms touched, their combined power erupted, unleashing an even more formidable aura.

At this moment, self-redemption is no longer a vague and ethereal thought, but has transformed into a tangible force, transcending the barriers of time and rushing towards us. When a person falls into extreme despair, when their belief is firm enough, their strongest state will break through the shackles of time, reaching out a helping hand to themselves and leading them out of this boundless predicament!

Each inspiring line pierced through the oppressive atmosphere, resounding throughout the heavens and the myriad realms, each word ringing out powerfully and striking straight to the heart:

"Even in the face of hardship and difficulty, we must persevere! We are ready to fight to the death, why has Your Majesty surrendered first? Old General, do you know Jiang Boyue of Tianshui?"

"The vastness of the sky reflects benevolence and virtue, and the thickness of the earth bears the virtue of a subject! My father often said that a general's death on the battlefield is an honor. Wen Yang, the six-sided general of Shu Han, is here, willing to go through fire and water for his country!"

"Anyone who dares to invade the territory of Great Wu will be defeated! Xu Sheng is here; anyone who dares to invade will be ensured a swift and complete annihilation!"

"I would rather die in battle and lose my country than surrender it! Sword Saint Liu Zhan is here, willing to protect my homeland with my life!"

"Since Heaven gave birth to Zhou Yu, why did it also give birth to Zhuge Liang! Zhuge Kongming, wait for me, Zhou Gongjin! Today I will compete with you and live up to our lifelong friendship!"

"His horse tramples the Qilian Mountains, shaking the land; his army rises amidst chaos, what can Heaven do?! Ma Chao is here!"

"..."

A crimson phoenix carries the god Zhou Yu, his long hair flying and his scarlet phoenix robe billowing. Amidst his hearty laughter, he exudes the elegance of a great scholar-general.

Xu Sheng was driving a huge war chariot, which rumbled away amidst the sounds of battle.

With sword energy gathering on the steps, Liu Zhan, who seemed to ascend to heaven with each step, had his sword energy becoming increasingly dense.

With the Qilin Prince Jiang Boyue, who had transformed into a Qilin and was accompanied by four auspicious phantoms, the vast Tian Shui was filled with the Qilin as it ascended into the sky!

The Red King picked up the communicator, pointed the camera at the numerous divine souls above him, and smiled leisurely: "Everyone, appreciate this moment when humanity's stars shine! As long as you work hard enough, as long as you fight desperately enough, there will always be ancient figures standing with you, crossing the barriers of time to lend you a helping hand. As the first hexagram of the I Ching says, 'The movement of heaven is strong; the superior man makes himself strong and untiring. The nature of earth is receptive; the superior man carries the world with virtue!'"