The Last Sentinel

In the center of the ruins, the sound of a nursery rhyme echoed softly.

However, the nursery rhyme was no longer sung in the tender voice of a young girl, but in the hoarse low murmur of a young man, each word as if squeezed out from worn vocal cords, carrying an indescribable sorrow.

"The dark sky hangs low, accompanied by bright stars."

"The insect flies, the insect flies, who are you thinking of?"

"The stars in the sky weep, and the roses on the ground wither."

"The cold wind blows, the cold wind blows, but as long as you're with me..."

Qi Tian's fingers trembled slightly at his sides, his fingertips unconsciously rubbing his palms. Scenes of his sister flashed through his mind like an out-of-control slideshow, each one stabbing at his heart.

"Brother, can you stop playing games and find a proper job?" The girl wrinkled her nose and reached out to grab his game controller, her eyes full of reproach.

"Brother, are you having dinner tonight? I've made your meal!" She hadn't even taken off her apron when she poked her head out of the kitchen carrying steaming hot food, her eyes crinkling with tenderness.

"Brother, do you think Mom and Dad can come back to life?" She sat on the doorstep, twisting the hem of her clothes with her fingers, looking up at the starry sky, her eyes filled with a cautious expectation.

"Brother, I heard you're really good at video games? Did you participate in that game carnival last time? My classmates are all talking about you!" She skipped along behind him, her tone full of pride.

"Brother, I think Sister Wu is great. She likes you a lot too. If possible, you should marry her!" She blinked, earnestly trying to matchmake him with a faint smile on her lips.

"Brother, how did you get hurt again! Please don't take such risks next time. Please, don't fight with people anymore. Ye Feng also said that your talent is in creation, not combat!" She squatted down beside him, gently wiping his wounds, her eyes red and her voice trembling with tears.

"Brother, what do you want to do when you retire someday? How about we travel to all the worlds? I heard there are thirty-three heavens there, and each heaven has countless continents. We have more lifespans than we can use up. We can travel, and when we get tired, we can find a good place to settle down. Then you can marry Sister Wu, and we'll all be a happy family!" She rested her chin on her hands, her eyes full of longing for the future, her tone light and cheerful.

"Brother, I'm not getting married. I'm still too young. The Human Alliance rules state that you can only be considered a woman of marriageable age at fifty." She pouted and retorted with a haughty expression, lightly punching his arm with her fingertips.

"Brother, if one day I die before you, don't cry. You must follow in Lord Ye Feng's footsteps. Lord Sentinel is a human who has transcended base desires. I can sense that he has now reached the level of powerful figures like Luo Ji and Pan Gu..." Her voice gradually softened, her eyes filled with reluctance and admonition.

Qi Tian's eyes were empty, as if his soul had been ripped out. His eyelids twitched violently, the corners of his eyes cracked, and blood beads slid down his eyes, leaving glaring red marks on his pale cheeks.

No tears, only hoarse breathing, like a dying beast trapped in a cage, each breath pulling at the sharp pain in his chest, his shoulders rising and falling slightly, yet he remained standing straight, refusing to fall.

Each breath was accompanied by a tearing pain. He lowered his head slightly, his chin resting on his chest, and murmured hoarsely and brokenly, each word grinding against his flesh. His lips moved, but no complete sound came out.

His fist clenched tightly, his knuckles turned white and almost transparent, his nails dug deep into his palm, and blood dripped wildly, spreading into dark red flowers on the ruins beneath his feet. The veins on his arms bulged, winding like earthworms.

Not far away were two people. Senior Brother Min, with his triangular eyes and sinister look at the corners of his eyes, swept his gaze over Qi Tian. A hint of fear flashed in his eyes, but it was quickly replaced by greed.

The alluring female cultivator curled up, her shoulders trembling slightly, her beautiful eyes filled with fear. She reached out and tugged at Senior Brother Min's sleeve, her voice trembling, "Senior Brother, should we retreat? This guy is beyond our capabilities." Her fingertips were icy cold, and her palms were sweating profusely, fearing that something terrible might happen to her at any moment.

The senior brother with triangular eyes gleamed, raised his hand to press her hand down, took out a scroll, and said in a seductive tone, "Look at this person's appearance."

On the wanted poster, Qi Tian's ink painting portrait appears, followed by a line of text.

Bounty: Carbon-based Universe, Human Alliance, Qi Tian

Value: Four stars

Combat strength: 1.0 Enhanced Warrior

Expertise: Scientific research, technology

Introduction: Sentinel Ye Feng's most valued junior brother, the second most meritorious king in the Perfect Battle, and even Sentinel gave him his entire industrial base to help him become the number one technology giant in the Human Alliance today, the pinnacle of the brain development field!

Bounty: A miniature world!

Addendum: Whoever brings back Qi Tian's corpse, whether dead or alive, can go to Lihentian to claim the reward.

The senior brother with triangular eyes gleamed with greed, a wicked smile playing on his lips: "Junior sister, we've stumbled upon a big one!"

He ran his fingertips along the edge of the painting, as if he could already see the reward that was about to be his.

"But!" The junior sister recalled the heart-stopping scene just now, subconsciously taking half a step back, biting her lip and saying, "But senior brother, don't forget, he almost killed me just now! Moreover, he is Ye Feng's junior brother, who participated in the Perfect City battle. He's not a newbie; he has a wealth of combat experience. If things go wrong, we might end up losing..."

Her voice grew softer and softer, and a hint of greed mingled with fear in her eyes; she too was tempted.

This is a miniature world!

Cultivators like them will never have their own little world in their entire lives!

They wouldn't even have their own private paradise!

This kind of reward, at the level of a minor world, is exclusively reserved for powerful beings at the Nascent Soul stage or above!

They were only at the early stage of the Golden Core realm!

"Indeed, it's quite difficult. To be on the safe side, we should proceed with caution." The triangular-eyed senior brother said, taking out a jade pendant and gently stroking its surface with his fingertips. His eyes were sinister. "Then let's notify some other fellow cultivators and ask them to lend us a hand. We'll come back to reap the rewards last!"

Before Senior Brother Min could even crush the jade pendant, the afterimage in front of him shattered!

The jade pendant appeared in Qi Tian's hand.

Senior Brother Min gritted his teeth and said, "Qi Tian! Are you scared? Didn't you want to avenge your sister?" He tried to appear calm, but a hint of panic flashed in his eyes, and his body tensed slightly, ready to run away at any moment.

Qi Tian's eyes were hollow, the whites of his eyes around them had turned blood red, and veins bulged from his skin like dragons, snakes, and earthworms, almost bursting out of his skin. He looked down at the jade pendant in his hand with a strange smile on his lips, and said in a hoarse voice, "Can this summon all the cultivators?" His fingertips tapped the jade pendant lightly, the movements slow and eerie.

Min Daoren said coldly, "If you crush the jade pendant, all the cultivators present will know your coordinates! Do you dare to crush it?" He pretended to be tough and provocative, trying to suppress Qi Tian with words, but in reality, he was already panicking.

Qi Tian gently pinched the jade pendant between his two fingers, and the white jade pendant shattered, cracking open with a series of sharp sounds. The cracks in his hair slowly spread outwards. His movements were gentle, yet they carried an irresistible determination, and his fingertips turned slightly white from the force he exerted.

In an instant, countless ripples of immortal runes spread out from the three of them, instantly covering the entire moon! The immortal runes shimmered with a faint light, enveloping the entire ruins, and a chilling aura permeated the air.

This scene was quickly captured by the Daming Quantum Satellite Network.

The Ming Dynasty, the Star Observatory, the Temporary Military Council.

Yan Song, Yan Shifan, Hu Zongxian, Huang Jin, Zhang Juzheng, Lü Fang, Xu Jie, Gao Gong, and Prince Yu were all frowning and deep in thought. The atmosphere in the hall was heavy, and everyone had different expressions. Some tapped their fingertips lightly on the table, while others twirled their beards, all pondering how to deal with the situation.

Behind layers of celestial curtains, the ethereal figure of Jiajing Emperor appeared and disappeared, leaving only a faint, indistinct silhouette, making it impossible to discern his expression.

"Report!"

The Imperial Guard rushed in, knelt down, and shouted loudly, his voice ringing out: "Your Majesty, the enemy's movements on the far side of the moon have changed! The main force of the enemy on the far side of the moon has shifted its attack direction to Blue Star and is now targeting the city on the far side of the moon, Luoyang, the capital!" Sweat beaded on his forehead, and his tone was urgent, clearly indicating that he had just received the news and rushed over to report immediately.

Yan Shifan frowned and said, "Attack Luoyang? Isn't Luoyang already in ruins?" He raised his hand to rub his chin, his eyes full of doubt, and his fingertips unconsciously tapped the table.

Zhang Juzheng asked urgently, "Is the news accurate? Is there any evidence to support it?" He leaned forward slightly, his eyes sharp, eager to confirm the authenticity of the news.

The Imperial Guards raised their hands, and above their heads, the sky burst into flames. Within the sky, countless streaks of immortal sword light shot upwards, hurtling toward the coordinates of Luoyang, the capital city on the far side of the moon! The light flashed, illuminating the entire sky with dazzling brilliance.

"It really is like that!" Lu Fang's old eyes gleamed as he looked at Yan Song, his tone solemn: "Grand Secretary, what do you think?" He put his hands behind his back, his brows furrowed, waiting for Yan Song's judgment.

Yan Song looked at his beloved disciple Hu Zongxian, his eyes gentle and filled with expectation: "Ruzhen, what do you think?"

Hu Zongxian raised his hand and pointed, and a piece of intelligence appeared in front of everyone. His tone was calm: "I just received a piece of intelligence. Qi Tian, ​​the director of the Science and Technology Department, has fled the formation eye of the Ninth Sword Formation on the Perfect Continent and his whereabouts are unknown. The current host of the Ninth Sword Formation is Meng Xingyao." He tapped the intelligence with his fingertip, indicating that everyone should take a closer look.

Prince Yu said, "General Hu, are you saying that Qi Tian went to the far side of the moon?" He raised his eyebrows slightly, his eyes full of surprise, and sat up a little straighter.

Hu Zongxian said, "According to the Embroidered Uniform Guard, Qi Tian's younger sister, Qi Ling, lives in the Moonlit Capital. I suspect that Qi Tian may have deserted his post to go find his sister."

"Isn't this ridiculous?" Gao Gong roared, slamming his hand on the table, his face flushed red. "For the sake of a mortal, he's thrown the entire plan of the Perfect Continent to the back of his mind. This Qi Tian is utterly foolish!" His tone was impassioned and full of dissatisfaction, his fingertips turning slightly white from the force of his blow.

Yan Shifan raised an eyebrow and said, "Confused? What do you mean? Watching your own sister die at the hands of those beastly cultivators is considered understanding the greater good? Qi Tian has already found Meng Xinghun to be the core of the formation. Everyone knows Meng Xinghun's swordsmanship. He's the one who forced Ye Feng to use the shameless sword to defeat him. He's definitely more suitable to guard the Ninth Sword Formation than Qi Tian. Qi Tian's arrangement is flawless and doesn't disrupt the overall situation."

Gao Gongdao said, "Leaving the formation without permission doesn't count as disrupting the overall situation? Meng Xinghun has his uses, but Qi Tian's uses are in the Ninth Sword Formation!" He didn't back down an inch, his tone was firm, and he emphasized his point of view again.

Yan Shifan sneered, "Qi Tian isn't a member of the imperial court; he's a member of the Human Alliance. You don't think your tricks will work on Qi Tian, ​​do you?" A mocking smile appeared on his lips as he looked sharply at Gao Gong.

Gao Gong said, "You! I'm stating the facts! Don't try to ramble on!" He was so angry that he was trembling all over, his face turning even redder, and he pointed at Yan Shifan with his fingertips, but he couldn't utter a complete rebuttal.

"Who's rambling on and on!" Yan Shifan slammed his hand on the table, stood up, and said in an impassioned tone, "You're the one rambling on! I was talking about the Ninth Sword Formation, and you insist on making a mountain out of a molehill, labeling me, and finding a scapegoat. Is all you Qingliu people know how to do is label people all day long?"

Yan Shifan's eyes were fierce and full of anger, clearly provoked by Gao Gong's words.

Gao Gong's face flushed red: "You..."

thump—

Behind the heavy curtains, Jiajing struck the bell, its clear sound echoing throughout the hall, instantly silencing the argument among the crowd.

Yan Song spoke up: "Notify the Imperial Observatory to mobilize the quantum satellite, lock onto the coordinates of Luoyang, the capital, and see what's going on!" His tone was calm and carried an unquestionable authority, instantly silencing the chaotic scene.

Above everyone's heads, the burning sky rapidly expanded, revealing streaks of starlight that pierced through the darkness, bringing the ruins of Luoyang into view.

Amidst the ruins, countless immortals descended from the sky atop their celestial swords and magical artifacts, layer upon layer, a veritable galaxy of gods, their eyes burning with undisguised greed as they fixed their gazes on Qi Tian in the center of the ruins.

At the center of attention, a slender Space Marine leaned against a ruined stone pillar, seemingly oblivious to his surroundings, admiring a blue crystal necklace. His fingertips gently caressed the surface of the necklace, his eyes tender, a stark contrast to the grim atmosphere around him.

"It's Qi Tian!" Gao Gong's eyes blazed with anger, his tone full of accusation: "This guy is exactly like his senior brother, Sentinel! Completely lacking in discipline and order!"

"Enough!" Yan Shifan grabbed an ashtray and smashed it down, ash flying everywhere. He slammed his fist on the table and roared, "Stop attacking our Yan Party members every day! Did my apprentice eat your food? You drag my apprentice into everything you say! I really want to give your mother a warm salute!"

Gao Gong staggered after being hit, and was about to speak when the Prince of Yu behind him gave him a look. He lowered his head and did not continue to argue, but his eyes still held dissatisfaction.

Everyone stared at Qi Tian projected onto the sky. Immortals loomed overhead, layer upon layer. Almost all of the first wave of invaders were present. What exactly did Qi Tian want to do?

Seeking death?

Or perhaps...

Slaughtering all in all directions!