The Last Sentinel

The far side of the moon, the divine capital Luoyang.

The peace of the past has been torn apart by war; the plasma shield is shattered and the craters created by the psionic cannons are bottomless.

The wreckage of the floating fairy ship was everywhere, and the thousand-story interstellar building, cut in half, was burning.

Visible blue-white, violent immortal energy permeated the ruins, surging like living things and gnawing at the remaining foundation.

The once-renowned capital city, the core metropolis of the Human Alliance, is now a scene of ruins and crumbling walls, with dark red blood dust mixed with debris deeply embedded in the parched lunar soil.

The once bustling Heavenly Street is now littered with corpses and broken swords, its palaces in ruins, and its charred pillars reaching towards the starry sky like ghostly claws. Cracks cleaved by celestial power cover the pillars.

The lingering power of the cultivator's incantation, like poisoned iron vines, clung tightly to the ruins of the super-polymer gold city wall.

The invaders' sword marks are deeply etched into the city wall. Each mark is imbued with overwhelming killing intent, and its edges are scorching with immortal power.

In the ruins, through the communicator, the mechanical system's AI voice repeats itself.

"Warning! Unidentified spatial fluctuations have appeared around Lunar Guardian 521, suspected to be a powerful life form opening a directional stargate. We request the Human Alliance to decide whether to stop it!"

"Warning! Lunar Satellite 521 detected that the target's directional portal speed is extremely fast; our reaction mechanism is simply insufficient to cope with this kind of portal speed!"

"The enemy has successfully opened the stargate. The stargate is over 100 meters in diameter and has a mesh-like honeycomb pattern, suggesting it may be a multidimensional stargate. The lunar satellite has triggered an automatic counterattack, launching an attack on the stargate with the aim of shattering it!"

"Moon Guardian 521 has been destroyed. The Moon Guardian defense system is fully activated. The unmanned celestial vessel fleet has launched a proactive attack. The plasma shield is engaged..."

"Our base on the far side of the moon has been attacked by an unknown enemy. We are requesting support from our home planet!"

"Warning! Our forces have suffered losses exceeding 50%, and the enemy has invaded the ground!"

"Warning! The enemies are mostly psychic ability users. According to the Human Alliance's database, they are very likely from the cultivator camp of outer space..."

The jarring electronic sound was abruptly cut off.

With a dull, crushing sound, a golden silk handkerchief embroidered with intricate cloud patterns fell, instantly grinding the portable communicator transmitting its last distress signal into metal dust. Tiny sparks from the circuitry flickered and vanished in the oxygen-deprived environment before being extinguished completely. As the dust settled, a cultivator's figure emerged slowly from the shadow of the collapsed pillar.

As the ashes dissipated, the cultivator's figure was revealed. He had high cheekbones, his face was always covered with a layer of dark bluish-gray, and his triangular eyes were long and narrow and sinister. When he looked at people, it was like a venomous snake locking onto its prey, making people shudder.

"Senior Brother Min, how was the harvest?"

A female voice came from behind. The speaker was as graceful as a willow in the wind. A light purple gauze dress partially covered her fair skin. Her eyebrows and eyes were extremely charming, with the corners of her eyes slightly upturned. Her eyes had an indescribable seductive charm. She was definitely not someone to be trifled with.

The triangular-eyed young cultivator tossed a necklace radiating a crystalline blue light to him, saying, "It's yours."

The alluring female cultivator took the necklace, held it in her hands, and pondered it repeatedly: "This necklace is crafted from highly concentrated energy! Even in our immortal sect, it would be considered a top-grade spirit stone! Senior brother gave it to me so readily, I have nothing to repay you with, how about I offer myself in marriage?"

"Get lost!" the triangular-eyed cultivator said coldly. "Take it if I give it to you, why are you talking so much nonsense?"

"Junior sister is very sensible!" The female cultivator quickly stepped forward, feigning a blush on her cheeks, but a shrewd glint flashed in her eyes. "Senior brother told me to keep my mouth shut and not to tell anyone about this achievement, right? I suppose you must have caught a very important target. Don't worry, I won't utter a single word about such a secret."

Before the words were even finished, the sky above their heads suddenly exploded with a deafening roar.

The ground shook, and the ruins crumbled!

"who!"

The nun and the triangular-eyed young man looked in the same direction, and the dust and dirt in front of them dissipated.

The newcomer was dressed in the common matte dark gray modular interstellar combat suit of the Human Alliance, without any flamboyant paint or medals. He silently stared at the female cultivator and the triangular-eyed young man, a cold killing intent emanating from beneath his metal helmet!

The female cultivator stepped forward with captivating charm: "It's quite interesting that someone could survive under Senior Brother's Five-Colored Immortal Banner! Fellow Daoist, what is your name?"

The triangular-eyed young cultivator suddenly grabbed the female cultivator's shoulder: "This person is not simple, be careful."

The female cultivator glanced at the space soldier, her gaze sweeping over his lack of medals and heavy main battle weapons. A slight smirk played on her red lips, her expression one of condescension from a cultivator to a mortal: "Senior brother is being far too cautious. Wearing only standard armor, without even a decent main battle weapon, how much strength can you possibly possess? At best, you're just an ordinary enhanced warrior of the Human Alliance. In the cultivation world, you'd be equivalent to a Foundation Establishment stage junior, completely unqualified to speak to someone like you or me, with our Golden Core cultivation."

Having said that, Senior Brother Min took two steps forward alone, his gray face bearing a mocking sneer, his triangular eyes fixed on his opponent hidden by the helmet, his tone carrying naked intimidation: "You should leave immediately, sir. Our reinforcements will arrive in an instant. Once the immortal cultivators surround and seal off the entire airspace, even if you want to escape, you will have no chance whatsoever."

A deep, husky male voice, filtered electromagnetically, emanated from inside the helmet. Its tone was flat and emotionless, yet carried a heavy, oppressive weight: "Was this area cleared and slaughtered under your orders?"

"Yes." Senior Brother Min readily agreed, without a trace of guilt. Instead, he exuded a sense of smugness after completing the plunder. "The ruins within a radius of thirty miles are all under my jurisdiction for cleanup."

The Space Marine slowly raised his tactical-gloved arm, pointing to the partially collapsed ruins of a fortress not far away, its outer shell riddled with dents from magical bombardment. His knuckles tensed slightly from the exertion: "Inside that fortress lived a girl of about fifteen or sixteen. Where is she now?"

Senior Brother Min's eyes narrowed slightly as he began to probe, "What is your relationship with that ant-like mortal?"

"Senior brother, why waste your breath on such a useless creature entangled in worldly affairs? Just kill him with a single sword strike!" A faint pink, bewitching light emanated from the female cultivator, her face filled with ruthlessness. "Does a mere being bound by love and affection even deserve to repeatedly question us?"

"One last time!" The Space Marine's voice suddenly rose, his long-suppressed grief and anger reverberating through his helmet, causing the internal modules of his armor to tremble slightly. Every word was laced with barely contained rage, "Where is that girl?!"

Senior Brother Min's lips curled into a cruel, indifferent sneer as he uttered two words, one slow and deliberate: "Dead."

Those two short words struck the soldier's heart like a heavy hammer. His body swayed violently, and he staggered back several steps, his back slamming heavily against the cold, broken stone wall.

His metal helmet drooped slightly, obscuring his face, but the despair of near-mental collapse and the heart-wrenching grief emanating from him truly filled the vacuum around him, adding to the desolation of the desolate ruins.

Upon seeing this, the female cultivator immediately let out a leisurely, mocking laugh, and slowly walked out, her tone full of the cold indifference of the path of cultivation that severs mortal emotions: "Mortals are like ants and dust, spending their whole lives valuing the ephemeral bonds of emotions more than their own lives, how utterly ridiculous."

"Cultivation is inherently a path of severing emotions and desires, and stripping away worldly attachments. How can one break free from the shackles of cultivation and ascend to a higher level when one's heart is filled with worldly concerns and desires, and one's hands and feet are bound by love?"

"Even if you manage to escape the blockade of your senior brother's Five-Colored Immortal-Binding Banner and survive, you will ultimately be nothing more than a pitiful piece of trash trapped by your obsession."

A fierce possessiveness ignited in her eyes. With a flick of her wrist, pink bewitching energy swirled around her fingertips. Her tone was playful and teasing: "Senior brother, watch my skills. I will immediately use the Hehuan Bewitching Technique to firmly imprison him and make this tough space warrior my subject. It will be a pleasant pastime after the great battle."

Senior Brother Min stood aside with his arms crossed, watching coldly. A hint of amusement flashed in his narrow, triangular eyes. He casually joked, "This kid has really hit the jackpot with a woman."

As soon as she finished speaking, the female cultivator's figure suddenly became ethereal, transforming into a wisp of misty purple light that merged into the shadows of the ruins. Layers of pale pink celestial light spread out across the sky, and countless illusory, graceful celestial maiden phantoms swayed and danced in the air. Each phantom was enveloped in a soul-consuming and depraved illusion, layer upon layer converging inward, trapping the space warrior tightly in the center of the magic circle.

The warrior, enveloped by countless illusions, remained silent with his head bowed. The next instant, he suddenly raised his head, his left hand clenching tightly with all his might. A muffled explosion of energy rang out, and the nearest celestial maiden phantom shattered instantly in his palm. Pink demonic energy scattered and dissipated, and cracks appeared directly in the foundation of the illusion.

"Junior sister, be careful!" Min Xiu's expression changed drastically, and he shouted a warning in a hoarse voice.

It was all too late. The bewitching array exploded with a deafening roar, pink celestial mist drifted across the sky, and the female cultivator's true form was actually broken free of all illusionary restraints by her opponent. With one hand gripping her neck, she was lifted straight off the ground into the air. Her limbs were futilely unable to move, and all the demonic energy she was channeling was completely blocked by the high-level mental barrier built into her interstellar armor, making it impossible for her to summon even a fraction of any magic.

The charming and alluring expression on her face shattered completely, leaving only deep-seated terror and disbelief. Her pupils contracted violently, and her throat was tightly locked, only able to emit a hoarse, leaky sound.

"How... how is this possible? My bewitching illusion array can even deeply confuse a Golden Core cultivator, how could you directly see through the illusion and lock onto my true form..."

The Space Marine slowly straightened his taut back. His helmet still concealed his expression perfectly, but the grief and overwhelming rage surging within him were almost tangible, weighing heavily on the ruins. He freed his right hand and ripped the blue crystal energy necklace from the female cultivator's neck. In the very center of the translucent blue crystal, the engraved character "Qi" shone quietly in the faint light reflected from the ruins.

The next second, the recording of the girl sealed inside the crystal slowly flowed out, her clear and innocent voice gently echoing in the desolate ruins of the moonlit night, ethereal and tender:

"The dark sky hung low."

"The bright stars are with me."

"The insects fly, the insects fly."

Who are you missing?

"The stars in the sky are weeping."

"The roses on the ground have withered."

"Cold wind blows, cold wind blows."

"As long as it's there, you'll be there for me..."

"My eldest brother is a peerless hero!"

"One day, he will ride on auspicious seven-colored clouds, clad in golden armor, and lead me through all the heavens and myriad worlds..."

The soldier's fingertips, clad in tactical gloves, gripped the cold, hard crystal necklace tightly. Beneath the gloves, his knuckles turned completely white from the excessive force, and his aura fluctuated violently several times, clearly indicating that he was deeply immersed in painful memories.

After a long silence, he managed to suppress his trembling voice and asked, word by word, in a deep voice, "How did she die?"

The female cultivator, her throat gripped and suspended in mid-air, was filled with terror. She clearly sensed that with just a slight exertion of power, her soul would be annihilated and she would perish on the spot. In a panic, she desperately tried to signal to her senior brother Min beside her, pleading for help.

Senior Brother Min took a half step forward with a solemn expression, his tone carrying a transactional compromise and negotiation tone: "Fellow Daoist, please release my junior sister for now, and we can sit down and discuss everything properly."

"I'll ask one last time, how did she die?" The warrior's tone was unwavering, and the energy warning lights on his armor's shoulder plate flashed rapidly, indicating that he was on the verge of overload.

The female cultivator, her neck restrained, hurriedly and vaguely urged, "Senior brother, just answer whatever he asks. Saving me is the most important thing!"

Senior Brother Min said, "That little girl has quite a few standard spiritual artifacts from the Alliance, so she's quite wealthy. She's practically a rich ant."

"I used a little trick, under the pretense that her family had sent someone to rescue her, to lure her out of the fortress. It didn't take much trouble for me to seize all her treasured possessions."

"If your only obsession is with these spoils of war, I can give them all away, just please spare my junior sister's life."

The soldier's chest heaved violently as he desperately suppressed the blood feud that threatened to overwhelm his reason, and continued to press, "Did she leave any words before she died?"

Senior Brother Min casually said, "When I killed her, she was running and fleeing desperately, repeatedly calling out a name, something like Qi Tian. She believed until her death that someone named Qi Tian would come to save her..."