The Last Sentinel

"Woo-woo!"

A clear, resonant dragon's roar broke through the air, its sound waves shaking the heavens, and its lingering echoes sinking deep into the depths of the netherworld.

A blinding golden light ripped through the hazy sky, causing the rock beneath their feet to rumble like thunder, cracks spreading outwards from the mountain's base. The thousand-foot-tall Great Sage's Dharma Image rose abruptly from the ground in the center of the desolate ruins, appearing with a thunderous roar.

The gilded body gleamed with a scorching light, the red tassels of the phoenix-winged purple-gold crown were torn wildly by the fierce wind, the golden chainmail with its coiled dragon patterns flowed with golden light, and the lotus-silk cloud-walking shoes landed, instantly causing spiderweb-like cracks to appear on the hard rock surface.

His fiery eyes condensed into two blazing golden suns, glancing sideways at the desolate mountains. His golden cudgel was lazily slung over his shoulder, its arrogant sharpness slowing down even the surrounding gale.

Golden light swept across the fields, the fallen weeds slowly straightened up, and tender green buds sprouted from the tops of the withered peach branches at the foot of the mountain.

A strong wind cleaved through layers of clouds, and the dilapidated Water Curtain Cave was gently enveloped in soft light. The low, crumbling walls made the Dharma image stand tall and imposing.

The majestic and domineering aura that had lingered for a thousand years broke the silence, and the immense pressure heavily covered the entire desolate ruins. The unique domineering spirit of the Great Sage Equaling Heaven spread throughout the mountains through the cracks in the rocks and the roots of the grass.

Qi Tian's mind entered a mysterious state of complete absorption, his eyes shining brightly.

Consciousness and the colossal shadow merged seamlessly, their pulses resonated in unison, and the boundaries completely dissolved—Qitian was the Great Sage's Dharma Form, and the Great Sage's Dharma Form was Qitian.

The view suddenly rises to a height of a thousand meters, and the entire blessed land of Huaguo Mountain is laid out before you.

The ground was cleaved by a three-pointed, double-edged sword, creating four deep trenches that extended outwards, connecting to the surrounding islands, the lines forming a gesture that couldn't be clearer.

Qi Tian's pupils suddenly contracted, and his heart sank.

This is by no means a naturally weathered landscape, but a deliberately branded mocking mark: the left hand is raised slightly, three fingers are tightly clenched and curled, and the thumb is pressed down hard.

Erlang Shen left a giant, unique mark on his homeland, a straightforward and flamboyant signature after shattering Huaguo Mountain.

A chill crept up my spine, only to be quickly dispelled by a sense of relief. A true adversary who wants to eliminate their enemies completely will never bother to leave their mark on their territory; they will simply flatten the mountains and forests, erasing all traces of life.

He silently recited Yang Jian's long-standing prophecy: "His heart is too proud to acknowledge the Heavenly Family, his nature too arrogant to dwell as a god in Guanjiang, his spirit shines brightly in Chicheng, his manifestations are boundless, he is known as Erlang." The logic applied to reality was remarkably clear: He was simply going through the motions of receiving his Heavenly salary; there was no need to risk his life in a desperate battle. Being ordered to suppress the rebellion was already a great favor to the Jade Emperor; there was no intention to completely sever the roots of Flower Fruit Mountain.

The taut lines on his shoulders slowly relaxed, and a faint, knowing look flashed across Qi Tian's eyes. It was precisely this leniency that left him a sliver of hope, allowing him to awaken the Great Sage's will, which had been dormant for a thousand years, and to reignite the flames of his homeland.

"Fellow Daoist Qitian! No, Comrade Qitian!"

An old man's voice rose from the pile of rocks. Fifth Master stood on tiptoe and raised his hand to his brow bone. His gray-white Taoist robe was fluttering in the mountain wind. He looked up at the huge shadow that blotted out the sky, his voice filled with unconcealed urgency and expectation.

Qi Tian lowered his eyes, and the hundred-foot-tall Dharma Image above his head bowed in unison, his gaze falling heavily on the thin old man: "It feels good. Fifth Master, is there something you need?"

Fifth Master stomped his toes, clearing away the pebbles at his feet, and shouted, "Can you sense the birthplace of the Great Sage?"

Qi Tian's fingers curled slightly, his brows furrowed, and his face showed doubt: "The Great Sage's birthplace? Where exactly is it?"

"Qiongshan Dan Cliff." Fifth Master's tone suddenly became solemn, and his speech quickened. "Back then, when the stone monkey was born from the stone, fragments of the original stone were embedded deep in the cliff face, sealing a wisp of divine source from the same origin. The Great Sage went west to obtain the scriptures and never returned to the mountain. The divine source has always been dormant in the cliff. If we find it, we can revitalize the dormant spiritual veins of the entire Flower and Fruit Mountain."

Qi Tian nodded in response: "Wait a moment, let me sense it."

He knelt cross-legged and sat down, the surrounding air suddenly freezing. The Dharma image above his head emptied his mind, and he stood facing the sky in stillness. Layers of surging golden waves exploded outward from his body, shattering the floating dark mist. Ripples roared and spread, stirring up the surrounding dark tides, causing them to churn and boil, with tiny bolts of lightning crackling and flashing in the mist, and electric sparks trembling frequently.

Synchronous changes occurred deep within the spiritual veins, causing waves of earth to surge and undulate on the surface of Flower Fruit Mountain, and the entire mountain continued to tremble slightly.

The sky above was illuminated by golden light, and the images were projected in real time onto the screens of thousands of households in Daxia.

Dark clouds swirled on the mountaintop, thunder roared and crackled among the clouds, and a layer of warm golden light rose from the ground. At the boundary between light and shadow, the majestic image of the Great Sage, sitting cross-legged, was magnificent and resplendent, with golden waves spreading outwards in concentric circles.

The screen was flooded with comments:

"The Victorious Fighting Buddha! The Great Sage has manifested!"

"The impact is too strong; I can't believe it's real!"

"Even wondrous artifacts like warhammers truly exist; it's only natural that the Great Sage would appear in this world!"

"May the Great Sage vanquish evil spirits and ward off misfortune; may this be auspicious sign for a safe journey!"

Inside the council hall, Zhou Yunyi wiped the cold sweat rolling down his forehead, his fingertips damp with coolness. Staring at the now-stable live stream, he exhaled a long, pent-up sigh. Behind him, the tense backs of his clansmen relaxed in unison; the anxiety that had gripped them for half a day finally subsided. The Jiajing Emperor had given them twelve hours to complete the matter, with the entire clan to be punished for any delay. After much agonizing waiting, they had finally managed to stabilize the situation at the critical juncture.

"Lord Zhou!" A guard beside him hurried forward, urging, "Start the live broadcast across the entire area immediately!"

Zhou Yunyi straightened his slightly wrinkled clothes, wiped the sweat from his cheeks, and faced the camera with a composed expression: "Dear viewers, the malfunction in the Moonlit server room has been successfully resolved. We'll skip the redundant content of the Winter of Flower Fruit Mountain side quest and get straight to the core. At present, Dr. Qitian has completely taken control of Flower Fruit Mountain, successfully summoned the Great Sage's Dharma Image, and obtained the key to open the secret realm dungeon."

His tone was solemn, and he raised his voice: "This concerns everyone! For a long time, the carbon-based universe has been trapped in a resource-scarce high-level martial arts battlefield, with no place to implement cutting-edge technologies. After the opening of the Flower Fruit Mountain Secret Realm, it will become a natural training ground for leading to higher-level universes, and in the future, it can even transform into a brand-new supreme arena, a ladder battlefield for fair competition..."

Before the words were finished, a deafening explosion resounded from the depths of the sky. From the source of the black mist and lightning, several ferocious black dragons transformed into ferocious energy and shot straight into the sky, tearing apart the thick fog layer.

The live stream chat exploded with panic:

"What kind of ferocious creature is that?"

"Lord Zhou, please enlighten me!"

Zhou Yunyi stared intently into the depths of the screen, his pupils suddenly contracting. A massive, black jade pipa, its size comparable to a skyscraper, slowly emerged from the ground, as heavy as a hill. Several visible black dragons of energy swirled around its surface, and invisible sound waves subtly vibrated through the screen, sending shivers down his spine. His Adam's apple bobbed slightly as he identified it in a deep voice: "Based on my deduction, this is the Black Jade Pipa, the natal magic weapon of the Eastern Dhritarashtra, one of the Four Heavenly Kings of the Heavenly Court."

The black energy surged and billowed once more, a sharp light pierced through the dark night, and a hundred-foot-long Azure Cloud Sword burst forth from the ground, its fierce sword energy piercing straight into the sky.

"The Azure Cloud Sword of the Southern Heavenly King, also known as the Wisdom Sword, can cut through distracting thoughts and worries."

The crimson dragon followed closely, spiraling into the sky. Its serpentine form flickered its scarlet tongue, exuding a ferocious aura.

"The Western Heavenly King Guangmu's Spiritual Treasure Serpent was used by the Four Heavenly Kings when they besieged the Great Sage."

The final giant umbrella slowly unfurled and rose into the sky, its vast canopy blotting out the sun and overshadowing the brilliance of the other three magical treasures, completely enveloping the entire Flower Fruit Mountain Island. Zhou Yunyi's voice suddenly rose: "The Northern Heavenly King's Primordial Treasure Umbrella, primarily for suppressing misfortune, attracting blessings, and protecting spiritual veins!"

Gazing at the complete set of ancient magical artifacts floating in mid-air, his eyes were filled with shock: "Who would have thought that the Four Heavenly Kings' complete sets of natal magical treasures were all suppressed here!"

"The Heavenly King of Growth, Mo Liqing, wields the Azure Cloud Sword, wielding it to summon black winds and raging flames; the Heavenly King of Wide Vision, Mo Liqing, with his red palm and the Primordial Pearl Umbrella, opens the umbrella to shake heaven and earth; the Heavenly King of Holding the Nation, Mo Liqing, plays the Jade Pipa with his high-pitched strings, stirring up sonic waves and fierce winds; the Heavenly King of Abundant Hearing, Mo Liqing, raises a flower fox sable, a strange beast capable of stealing people's souls!"

"Back then, when the Heavenly Court suppressed Flower Fruit Mountain, it must have been the four of them who used magical artifacts as dragon nails to suppress the mountain's spiritual energy, severing the life force of the plants and trees, which is why the blessed land became a desolate wasteland. Now that Qi Tian has taken control of the blessed land and awakened the Dharma form, he has directly unleashed four powerful sealing artifacts. In the future, Flower Fruit Mountain will surely be restored to its former glory, with the sun and moon shining brightly once more."

A pinned comment suddenly popped up: Lord Zhou, the Four Heavenly Kings still have descendants remaining in the heavens. The Great Sage Dharma is about to break the seal of the ancestors. Will the descendants cross over to descend and besiege the Great Sage to take back the magic weapon?

The question was sharp and hurtful. Zhou Yunyi's lips parted slightly, but his smooth words suddenly stopped. His fingertips unconsciously clenched the folds of his sleeves, and his gaze was fixed on the four powerful magical treasures. He was speechless for a moment.

A mountain breeze swept through the dilapidated Water Curtain Cave, causing newly sprouted buds to sway gently. Golden light and black mist confronted each other in mid-air, while sporadic rumbles of thunder echoed. The entire mountain forest was eerily quiet, and a heavy suspense hung in the hearts of millions of viewers.