The Last Sentinel

Thick fog billowed, and the cold wind chilled to the bone.

The grayish-white mist, almost tangible, pressed down layer upon layer, chilling one to the bone. With each breath, one inhaled a rusty, decaying chill. Silence reigned all around; not a single bird's cry or beast's roar could be heard, only the mournful sound of the wind whistling through the broken rocks. Standing there, an overwhelming loneliness and chill seeped into one's very bones, and terror was ever-present.

The ground soil occasionally exploded with a loud bang, and terrifying centipede-like worms, hundreds of meters long, suddenly sprang out. Their bronze-cast heads gleamed coldly, and their armored limbs rubbed together, producing a piercing shriek. Their giant mandibles opened and closed, constantly swallowing and spitting out thick, black, corrosive mist. Wherever the mist landed, the gravel and soil melted away with a hissing sound, turning into a pool of black mud.

Qi Tian frowned, fine beads of cold sweat appeared on his forehead, and his jaw was clenched tightly.

Fortunately, his sixth sense and combat intuition, honed through countless life-and-death experiences, did not dissipate in this secret realm. The unseen warnings reverberated repeatedly in his mind, allowing him to anticipate underground disturbances and instinctively dodge to the side, narrowly avoiding the attacks of the alien insects time and time again.

As they ran forward, the number of giant beast skeletons they saw increased.

The broken ribs, like shattered giant pillars, were stuck in the scorched earth, and the huge beast skull was half-buried in the soil, its empty eye sockets filled with heavy black mist.

As he walked, Qi Tian's pupils contracted slightly, and he suddenly stopped.

That was the remains of a celestial soldier from the Heavenly Court.

It's not accurate to say it's wreckage; all that's left is an empty suit of armor.

The armor was a dull gray-blue color. After countless years of divine battles, its luster had faded, and its flesh, blood, and soul had all turned into nothingness, leaving not a trace.

It stood alone on this desolate and barren ancient battlefield of Huaguo Mountain, its posture still upright. Its right hand gripped a massive, heavy spear as imposing as the Empire State Building, its shaft covered with countless weapon scratches. The helmet drooped heavily, and from within the dark muzzle, wisps of black malevolent energy and faint killing intent slowly diffused, swirling around the armor. The oppressive aura was so heavy that even from dozens of feet away, it made one's chest feel suffocated.

Zhou Yunyi stood beside Qi Tian, ​​his face solemn, his gaze fixed on the heavenly soldier's armor, his lips moving slightly as he murmured softly.

"Is this the real Heavenly Soldier from the Southern Heavenly Gate of the Heavenly Court?" His fingers clenched unconsciously in his sleeve, his eyes filled with shock. "Even though his physical body has turned to ashes, the remaining armor still exudes such a terrifying aura! It's hard to imagine how terrifying his combat power must have been when he was still alive."

He sighed softly, looking around at the broken bones and ruins scattered everywhere, his tone becoming heavy: "But to put it another way, even such a powerful heavenly army has now all perished here. This is enough to prove how tragic that divine war was back then. The demons of Flower Fruit Mountain and the heavenly soldiers of the Heavenly Court, in the end, all perished together."

The two bypassed the celestial soldiers' armor standing in place and continued deeper into the secret realm.

The magnificent Flower and Fruit Mountain described in the book "Journey to the West," with its fragrant grasses and abundant fruits, is nowhere to be seen. The ground beneath one's feet has been scorched by the intense heat of the ancient battle, the entire surface solidified into a crystal-like shell, crisscrossed with cracks.

One after another, towering mountains were ruthlessly sheared off, the cuts as clean as if cleaved by a knife or axe. In mid-air, lingering malevolent energy and evil aura roamed everywhere, settling on the rocks and slowly eroding everything around them.

Qi Tian's face gradually paled, his lips lost their color, and his fingertips became slightly numb. The swirling black energy around him was all-pervasive, seeping into his body through the gaps in his robes, constantly eroding his vitality.

He slowed his pace, his eyes fixed on the depths of the churning fog, his eyelids twitching slightly, the warning in his heart growing stronger.

My sixth sense is screaming madly.

Deep within the thick fog lies what he has traveled thousands of miles to seek—the legacy of the first demon in mythology, the Great Sage Equal to Heaven.

Seventy-two transformations.

The Great Celestial Immortal Technique.

Somersault Cloud.

In the past, Qi Tian had somewhat dismissed these matters, one by one.

But once you actually set foot here and witness firsthand the dimensions of Flower Fruit Mountain that far surpass the mortal world, and look at the massive remains of fallen demon monkeys and heavenly soldiers that are as huge as mountains, a sudden realization wells up in your heart.

Wu Cheng'en was just a lousy writer; he knew absolutely nothing about Journey to the West.

The "Journey to the West" in books is merely like children playing house; the true mythology is far more than just a few words on paper. The so-called journey to the West to obtain scriptures is not just about crossing human kingdoms; it is an epic expedition that conquers eighty-one worlds, eighty-one vast universes, and spans countless heavens.

Zhou Yunyi noticed Qi Tian's pale face, frowned slightly, took a half step forward, and asked in a low voice, "How are you, Qi Tian? Why don't you rest for a while?"

Qi Tian shook his head, took a deep breath of the cold, turbid air, and said with a serious expression, "It's alright! This black energy is more troublesome..."

The words hadn't even finished being spoken.

Boom—!

The ground beneath Qi Tian's feet trembled violently, the soil cracked, and countless hissing black wisps of gas, like cascading waterfalls, roared and gushed out from the underground cave!

Qi Tian's hair stood on end instantly, a warning bell rang in his heart, and he knew something was wrong. He immediately mustered his strength and prepared to leap away.

late.

A colossal black shadow, shrouded in overwhelming malevolent energy, burst forth from the earth. Countless black vine-like tendrils, as thick as an adult's arm, swept through the air, layering and binding Qi Tian from head to toe in a flash. The black mist churned and surged, and the shadow's full form slowly emerged from the thick fog.

This centipede general is thirty meters tall. Although it is not as big as the centipede beast that was a hundred meters long before, its countless horizontal tentacles have evolved into arms that look very much like humans. The centipede's head and body are full of anthropomorphic changes. Its dark golden carapace is layered and has a cold light. It is just like an ancient demon that has been awakened.

With the crisis imminent, Qi Tian's eyes widened, all his muscles tensed, and his power erupted wildly. His bones made muffled, thunderous cracks as he forcefully broke free of the tentacles' restraints. A streak of light detached from his body as he used the [Golden Cicada Shedding Its Shell] technique, nimbly slipping out of his restraints and tumbling awkwardly onto the glazed ground several feet away. Gravel scraped his forearm, drawing blood.

The cross-dimensional live broadcast camera, suspended high in the sky, transmitted this thrilling scene back to Earth in its entirety.

The screen exploded with comments, scrolling everywhere.

Zhou Yunyi, his expression excited, raised his voice and exclaimed, his words carrying across the entire planet via the live stream: "A textbook version of the 'Golden Cicada Shedding Its Shell'!"

"Everyone, do you see that? Body cultivation and martial arts are the foundation of humanity! Even if you fall into a completely unfamiliar high-level martial arts dungeon, even if your magical powers fail, you can still rely on the strength of body cultivation to use martial arts techniques to survive!"

"Body cultivation is the ultimate answer for all the heavens and universes of the future!"

His gaze was fixed on the battlefield. Seeing the Centipede General turn its body, he hurriedly shouted a warning: "Left! Qi Tian! Left! The Centipede General is heading to your left!"

No sooner said than done.

A dark golden gale suddenly swirled and condensed around Qi Tian, ​​transforming into a roaring tornado that carried countless sharp, metallic wind blades, crashing down upon him.

At this moment, Qi Tian's supernatural powers were suppressed by the black energy of the secret realm, and his combat strength was reduced to less than one-tenth. In terms of speed, strength, and supernatural abilities, he was completely crushed by the Centipede General.

Thousands of sharp, metallic vortexes, accompanied by thunderous roars, poured down towards Qitian in a dense, overwhelming manner.

Qi Tian's pupils contracted sharply. With no other choice, he suddenly lunged forward, diving into the dark eye sockets of a giant monkey skull as temporary cover.

Sizzle—Snap!

Under the Centipede General's ferocious onslaught, the incredibly hard ancient monkey skull rapidly melted and crumbled, with fragments of stone and bone falling down, threatening to collapse the shelter in an instant.

Qi Tian had no choice but to run again.

General Centipede pursued relentlessly.

Qi Tian did everything in his power to find cover and hide.

The centipede general swung his giant arm and brutally smashed everything in his way.

Qi Tian kept running and dodging.

Beneath the celestial projection, everyone watched as Qi Tian staged a life-or-death parkour performance. A monstrous wind rolled and crushed behind him, the shadow of death looming large. Billions of viewers on Earth watching the live stream held their breath in suspense.

【It's over, it's over, we can't beat them at all!】

This demon's strength is outrageous; Qi Tian is in terrible shape right now!

[Don't let anything happen! Quickly find a way to escape!]

A barrage of comments flooded the screen, and countless people clenched their fists, holding their breath as they stared intently at the screen.

The human and the demon continued to advance deeper into the secret realm. The dark and malevolent aura behind them gradually thinned and dissipated, while wisps of hazy white mist grew thicker and thicker, slowly rising from all directions.

roar----!

The centipede general was utterly enraged. It raised its massive head high and let out a furious roar that shook the valley. Its giant jaws opened wide, and billowing black flames surged from its mouth, engulfing everything in a sea of ​​fire that engulfed and covered Qi Tian.

Qi Tian was determined to fight back, but he was now just a mortal body that was being continuously damaged by the black energy. How could he possibly contend with such a powerful demon?

Flames and black smoke intertwined, instantly engulfing Qi Tian's figure. The figure was directly blown away by the flames and disappeared into the billowing smoke.

On the summit of the precipice, the centipede general's enormous body coiled and circled back and forth, its huge compound eyes scanning the surroundings, searching for any trace of the human. After several searches, it failed to detect even the slightest hint of human presence, and finally, unwillingly, flicked its tentacles and slowly retreated into the thick black mist.

The smoke slowly dissipated, leaving only charred, blackened rubble at the edge of the cliff. The place where Qi Tian had just been was now empty.

In front of the live broadcast screen, billions of viewers on Earth fell into a deathly silence.

"What's going on! There's no signal?"

No, I don't know.

"Was Qi Tian killed?"

"Hard to say."

The live broadcast on Blue Star was interrupted, leaving billions of people staring blankly, at a loss.

Fortunately, Zhou Yunyi, a seasoned official, skillfully shifted the blame: "Dear citizens of the Ming Dynasty watching the live broadcast, the signal receiving station set up by the Imperial Astronomical Bureau on the far side of the moon was damaged in an enemy attack. The server room has just crashed and is currently undergoing emergency repairs. We will give you an update soon..."

The Ming Dynasty government was in complete chaos; the server room was damaged, and there was no signal at all.

The cabinet, the Hall of Mental Cultivation, the Great Wall of Swords, Li Wenzhong, Yan Shifan, Luo Yi and other bigwigs all took to the stage to start their blame-shifting performance.