The Last Sentinel

On the northern slopes of Mount Everest, the ancient snow-covered land stretches endlessly.

Ta-da.

Two clear, steady thuds broke the deathly silence of the wasteland.

A pair of pristine black silk boots, embroidered with delicate patterns, stood firmly on the gravelly, frozen ground. The soles struck the rocks with a crisp, resonant sound. The boots, embroidered with fine, dark cloud patterns, swayed slightly in the biting wind, untouched by a speck of snow.

A tall and aloof figure stood on the snowy highlands, his dark hair tied up, a few strands fluttering in the wind. The man wore a black and white flowing cloud robe, the fabric luxurious and light, with dark gold ancient clan patterns embroidered on the edges. Even in this desolate wasteland, his posture remained outstanding, and his demeanor dignified.

Mo Lijie's cold, narrow eyes looked down at the devastated snowfield wasteland below, his eyes devoid of any emotion, only indifference and detachment: "After all these years, the Xuanyuan tribe has made no progress at all, still so short-sighted and ignorant."

"How can such people, who forget their ancestors and abandon their roots for trivial matters, be worthy of carrying on the original will of our ancient clan?"

He paused slightly as a gust of wind lifted the hem of his robe, the flowing robes revealing a subtle but powerful aura.

Mo Lijie looked up into the depths of the heavenly sea of ​​clouds, his brows furrowing with impatience and disdain.

"If we were to list all the powerful elders in the myriad realms, none of them would be worthy of praise."

"Despite having the opportunity to solve the problem once and for all and eliminate future troubles, they hesitated and were always afraid to take the opportunity away. They only dared to restart the source and did not dare to completely separate and take away the source."

"They risk their lives for the slightest profit, yet cling to life and fear danger in times of great crisis; such cowardice is laughable."

His tone grew serious, and a cold glint flashed in his eyes: "Now the carbon-based universe and all the worlds are at odds, and a great war is about to break out. Yet they still cling to outdated clan rules and sectarian beliefs, attempting to take advantage of the absence of sentinels to seize the so-called golden window of development. How outdated they are."

"But what difference does it make whether the sentry is present or not?"

"Now that I have personally come here to take charge of this matter, my objective will surely be achieved, regardless of whether the sentries are stationed here or not."

With the words settled, he took a step forward.

With each step he took, the gale automatically parted to the sides, the swirling snow dared not approach him, and the pebbles beneath his feet were all reduced to dust. In just a few breaths, he traversed a thousand-meter-long snow-covered wasteland, arriving directly at the entrance to the barrier of the Human Alliance's Supreme Council.

hum-

The pale blue energy barrier trembled incessantly, spreading out layers of light patterns, blocking the way.

"Halt! This is the forbidden area of ​​the Supreme Council of the Human Alliance. Trespassers will be killed without mercy!"

A sharp, resounding shout suddenly rang out, and as the strong wind swept through, a tall figure stepped out from the barrier's light and shadow.

The newcomer was a middle-aged man, wearing tattered yet still gleaming star-scale armor. He stood tall and straight, his back as straight as a spear, his eyes sharp as a blade. He was none other than Zhao Donglai, who guarded the entrance to the council.

Zhao Donglai clasped his hands together, his star power surging and churning around him. The patterns on his armor lit up with dazzling silver light, and a powerful protective force suddenly spread out, locking onto Mo Lijie in front of him, reaching the extreme of vigilance.

Mo Lijie stood still, not moving an inch, only slightly lowering his eyes to examine him. His eyes gleamed, and his tone carried a hint of casual approval, yet also concealed a deep-seated contempt.

"A descendant of Lin Qilin? That's quite rare. His bearing and demeanor are reminiscent of your father's youthful spirit."

His tone suddenly shifted, and a chill ran through him: "Unfortunately, in his later years, your father became weak and dull-witted, a complete pessimist. He had talent but no courage, and ultimately he was a hopeless failure."

Zhao Donglai's eyes suddenly turned bloodshot, his chest burning with rage, and his stellar energy surged violently, causing his battle armor to vibrate with a faint hum: "Immortals reside beyond the realm, while our Human Alliance guards Blue Star. We have never had any grudges or enemies, whether in the distant past or the present. Why have you crossed the boundary without cause, launching a surprise attack on our Human Alliance's Blue Star territory and disturbing the peace of our Great Xia?"

"Heh." Mo Lijie chuckled softly, his laughter arrogant and indifferent, carrying a condescending air. "You're wrong. We have a long-standing grudge and a recent feud."

Zhao Donglai said, "Bring it on!"

He stood with his hands behind his back, his immortal robes fluttering in the wind, his aura overwhelming the entire scene: "I have come across realms today, not for killing, but only to restart the origin of heaven and earth."

Zhao Donglai frowned, his eyes sharp: "What is meant by 'rebooting the origin'?"

Mo Lijie's tone was domineering and fatalistic, leaving no room for argument: "In the twilight of a dynasty, when people are corrupt and incompetent, someone is needed to set things right. You and I are of the same bloodline from an ancient clan. You have deviated from orthodoxy and strayed from your origins, so it is natural for us to step in and correct you, leading you back to the right order of history."

"The origin is restarted, and a great cycle repeats every three hundred years. This is your inescapable destiny, and also the responsibility of our ancient clan."

"Nonsense!"

Zhao Donglai roared, his voice echoing across the snow-covered region, causing the surrounding snowflakes to fall in droves. He took a step forward, his iron-blooded aura erupting forth, each word ringing out with power and conviction.

"Now that our Human Alliance is safe and sound, and the Great Xia Kingdom is prosperous and peaceful, with its land stable and its people happy, why should you, our foreign tribes, interfere and manipulate us?"

"Even if there are flaws or shortcomings within the Human Alliance, we will handle the internal reforms and improvements. It is not your place, you heretics from beyond the realm who use the name of bloodline, to swagger across realms and wreak havoc!"

"Go back to your extraterrestrial realms! My Great Xia Earth does not accept so-called destiny! Nor does it welcome heretics like you!"

The last trace of gentleness in Mo Lijie's eyes vanished completely, his voice chillingly cold: "Ignoring bloodline origins, betraying one's kin, defying the norms, utterly foolish, utter trash!"

The last two words fell without the slightest ripple, yet they carried an extremely sharp and powerful immortal force.

Before he finished speaking, Mo Lijie lightly tapped his fingertip, the movement slow and casual, as if he were picking flowers or brushing snowflakes, without making a sound.

But in the next instant, a thin, transparent sword aura suddenly burst forth, condensed to the extreme, without any excess power, precisely locking onto Zhao Donglai's fatal acupoint between his eyebrows. It was faster than light and shadow, and its sharp killing intent instantly locked down all his escape space.

clank--!

A piercing metallic explosion suddenly erupted, causing the surrounding glaciers to vibrate and tremble.

Zhao Donglai's pupils contracted sharply, alarm bells rang in his mind, and without time to think, his star power surged instantly, his battle armor was fully activated, and layers of starlight shields spread out instantly, protecting his vital points.

However, the difference in their cultivation levels was as vast as an insurmountable chasm.

The slender sword energy pierced through the starlight shield in an instant. There was no earth-shattering explosion, but it carried an indestructible penetrating force. With a few crisp cracking sounds, Zhao Donglai's tattered star armor instantly shattered inch by inch, with fragments of metal flying everywhere, carrying starlight as they scattered across the snow.

A tremendous force slammed into Zhao Donglai's chest. He was struck as if by lightning, his body stiffening for a moment before he was sent flying uncontrollably backward. His body cut through the frigid sky, tracing a pathetic arc in the wind and snow, flying hundreds of meters before crashing heavily into a pile of glacial rocks, sending up a shower of ice and snow fragments.

puff--

A mouthful of hot blood gushed out, and Zhao Donglai was in excruciating pain all over his body, his muscles and bones trembling. He struggled several times but could not get up.

Where he had just stood, the wind and snow suddenly froze, and the air became slightly distorted.

A greyish-white robe fluttered slightly in the wind, and an aged yet upright figure slowly materialized from the misty void.

The newcomer had gray hair and a face etched with deep wrinkles, the marks of time's passage. Yet, his posture remained as upright as a mountain, his back straight and unyielding. He wore a simple, unadorned grey-white guardian robe; he was none other than Zhao Changcheng, the Great Wall Guardian who stood watch over the Blue Star.

He raised his eyes and stared directly at the imposing immortal master Mo Lijie. A complex mix of emotions surged in his turbid eyes: reminiscence, sighs, helplessness, and the chilling, deadly tension of their current confrontation.

Mo Lijie looked down at him, and his usually arrogant and cold eyes, unusually, lost some of their chill, revealing a long-lost joy and distant memories. He sighed softly.

"Junior Brother Zhao, how have you been?"

These five simple words, spoken calmly and quietly, struck Zhao Donglai, who was struggling to his feet not far away, like a thunderbolt.

Zhao Donglai froze, half of his body braced against the snow. The cold wind, carrying ice and snow, lashed his face, but he was completely oblivious. He stood frozen in place, his mind blank.

For a long time, many rumors have circulated that the Great Wall Watchers harbor ulterior motives and are traitors and agents planted by the gods within the human alliance.

Each time, Zhao Donglai categorically denied it. He preferred to believe that his revered master had been misled by spies from all the heavens and deceived by villains, rather than believe that the Great Wall Guardians, who protected the mountains and rivers and safeguarded the common people, would be an internal enemy who betrayed Blue Star.

But at this moment, the powerful enemy from beyond the realm called out "Junior Brother Zhao" to him, completely shattering all his self-comfort and wishful thinking.

The bloody truth was laid bare before him, shattering all his convictions and beliefs.

The wind and snow fell silently, the sky filled with a desolate and bleak expanse of ice and snow.

Zhao Changcheng looked at his former fellow disciple, his voice low and calm, carrying the serenity of a thousand years of vicissitudes, and slowly responded.

"Senior Brother Jie, it's been a thousand years since we last met. You are still as charming as ever, just as you were back then."

Mo Lijie scrutinized his junior brother before him, his eyes filled with regret and disappointment, his tone carrying a hint of disappointment.

"Why be so stubborn? If you had listened to my advice and stayed in the sect to wait for the battle of the chosen ones back then, with your talent, aptitude, and foundation, even if you couldn't beat the top five geniuses on the Seven Great Prodigies Ranking, you would have been more than qualified to be sixth or seventh, without any doubt."

He frowned slightly, his tone tinged with disdain: "Looking at the current Seven Prodigies, the seventh one, the Heavenly Daoist, is cowardly and timid, while the sixth one, the useless scholar, is merely a privileged relative who relies on his family background. To me, it is a disgrace to be listed on the list of prodigies alongside such mediocre people."

"But what if you were to take his place?" Mo Lijie's eyes gleamed with anticipation, his tone filled with expectation, "We, as fellow disciples, would both ascend to the list of prodigies, two geniuses from the same family, our names echoing throughout the heavens—what a magnificent and glorious prospect!"

Zhao Changcheng shook his head slightly, a bitter reminiscence flashing in his eyes. A thousand years had passed, yet it felt like yesterday.

"Senior brother, you are mistaken. Even though I insisted on staying and fighting with all my might back then, I still couldn't win the title of a prodigy."

"I am a descendant of a sinful race. According to the ancient laws, I am bound by the shackles of exile and am a born rebellious remnant."

"The battle of the chosen ones is the focus of everyone's attention, and all factions in the heavens are watching. Even if I fight with all my might and defeat all the other chosen ones of the same level, as long as others expose my bloodline and sinful origin in public, I will be instantly disgraced and become a laughing stock in the heavens."

"Not only that, I will also implicate our sect, our master, and even you, my senior brother."

"Senior brother is a legitimate descendant of the immortal sect, inheriting the position of a legitimate immortal official. The pure immortal blood of the Four Heavenly Kings flows in his veins. His future is bright, and he should have ascended to a high position in the heavens. Leaving me, a junior brother with original sin, is a stain and disgrace that you can never wash away for the rest of your life."

"Back then, I voluntarily left my sect and wandered through the heavens, not out of cowardice or retreat, but because it was the only choice to protect my sect and fulfill my senior brother's wishes."

Upon hearing this, a hint of malice flashed deep in Mo Lijie's eyes: "Here we go again!"

"Master, you and my uncle said exactly the same thing!"

"Don't you guys find it annoying?"

Zhao Changcheng said calmly, "That's a fact."

"Enough!" Mo Lijie roared, "Tell me the truth! Was it the Sect Leader, your Uncle-Master, or one of those old fogies in my family who came to negotiate with you and expel you that night?!"

Zhao Changcheng stared silently at Mo Lijie without uttering a word.

Mo Lijie stared at Zhao Changcheng, the restraint in his eyes gradually disappearing, replaced by indifference, murderous intent, and arrogance!

Silence is a farewell to the past, and also a sign of helplessness in the face of the present.

Regardless, the battle of the chosen ones and the camaraderie within the sect have come to an end.

Now, you are the enemy, and I am the speaker; we are irreconcilable enemies.

The cold wind howled, and snow filled the sky.

Once two prodigies from the same family, they have now become adversaries.