The Last Sentinel

On Huaguo Mountain, dark clouds surged like an inky tide, pressing down on the mountains and making them suffocate.

Thunder lurked deep within the clouds, occasionally bursting forth and splitting a blinding white light, illuminating every inch of stone and every pine tree in the mountains with a chilling aura.

The waters of the East China Sea, like an enraged behemoth, repeatedly crashed against the reefs of Huaguo Mountain with immense force. The sound of the waves crashing against the rocks, mixed with the roar of thunder, wove a suffocating net between heaven and earth.

The thatched pavilion stands quietly on the mountaintop, its bamboo curtains lifted by the sea breeze and then falling heavily back down with a soft "pat".

Inside the pavilion, Qi Tian sat upright before the three-legged cauldron, his five hearts facing the sky, his aura completely merging with the surrounding landscape. His consciousness transformed into an invisible wind, sweeping across every ravine of Flower Fruit Mountain, penetrating every stubborn rock, digging three zhang into the ground, thoroughly investigating every detail of this immortal mountain, inside and out.

A cold, mechanical voice echoed in his mind, devoid of any emotion, yet each word was clear:

"52181 enhanced-level monsters, scattered across various peaks, mostly minor enemies with meager combat power, only good for cannon fodder."

"1271 2.0 satellite-level monsters, dwelling on the mountainside and in caves, are somewhat skilled in magic and can be used, but are unlikely to accomplish great things."

"85 planetary-level monsters guard the core spiritual vein. Their combat strength is decent, but they are dull-witted and inflexible."

"Two 4.0 level constant-level monsters! One was severely injured in the war between immortals and demons a hundred years ago and is now on its last legs, its fate unknown; the other has fallen into a deep slumber and is hidden in a secret underwater realm. Its specific condition is unknown and it is currently out of control."

Qi Tian's brows furrowed almost imperceptibly. In the grand scheme of the myriad worlds, such strength was truly nothing special.

"Currently, Huaguo Mountain covers an area of ​​58500 hectares, which, converted to universal units of measurement, is approximately equal to 100 times Tongliao! Of this, the underwater area accounts for 85% of the total area, with numerous reefs and hidden secret realms; the above-water area accounts for only 15%, but it is mostly barren mountainous land with scarce spiritual veins, making it difficult to support large-scale cultivation."

"Huaguo Mountain is located in the southwest of the East Sea, bordering the mainland of Aolai Kingdom in the Eastern Continent to the west. Further west of Aolai Kingdom lies the border of the Great Tang Dynasty..."

The moment the words "Great Tang" appeared in his mind, Qi Tian suddenly opened his eyes. In those eyes, there was no weariness, no confusion, only a long-suppressed flame that instantly burned away the gloom in his eyes.

He raised his right hand and slowly swept it across his face. The movement seemed slow, but it carried an irresistible force.

Within the three-legged cauldron, spiritual energy suddenly surged and churned, like boiling water being stirred. Streams of white, misty spiritual energy, as if guided by a deity, flowed and converged at Qi Tian's fingertips, condensing in a short while into a magnificent three-dimensional projection map. The map floated in mid-air, its interplay of light and shadow revealing the terrain and topography of the surrounding ten thousand miles.

The East China Sea, churning with black mist, appears as a deep ink stain on the map, teeming with undercurrents and fraught with danger. The small, rock-sized Huaguo Mountain Island hangs forlornly in the ink, like a drop in the ocean. To the west lies Aolai Kingdom of Dongsheng Shenzhou, its city walls scattered, with glimpses of life still visible. Further west, Jianye City and Jian'an City stand in succession, all the way to the border of the Tang Dynasty. That blurry, indistinct silhouette, though not real, exudes an aura of grandeur that captivates the heart and soul.

Just as the spiritual energy clouds were about to spread across the border of the Tang Dynasty, the three-legged cauldron suddenly hissed and its surface emitted a dazzling white light, as if it had instantly entered an overload state.

White lightning-like spiritual energy emanated from the cauldron, rippling outwards in concentric circles, carrying a scorching heat that distorted the surrounding air.

Qi Tian raised his hand and gently patted the handle of the three-legged cauldron. His movements were gentle, yet soothing: "Don't rush. You have to eat one bite at a time and walk one step at a time. Flower Fruit Mountain is just a starting point, not the end." His voice was soft, but it carried a firm strength, which gradually calmed the restless cauldron.

Just then, a series of steady footsteps came from outside the pavilion, breaking the silence of the mountains.

The old Taoist priest, Fifth Master, carried a roasted hind leg of a demon beast, crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. The fat dripped down the meat's texture, and the aroma instantly filled the air, easing the somber atmosphere of the mountains.

Fifth Master walked in with a smile, his gaze sweeping over the 3D projection in the air, a hint of approval flashing in his eyes: "Qi Tian, ​​time to eat! You're quite quick to grasp things, kid. You've figured out the terrain of Flower Fruit Mountain so quickly! Come on, eat first. No matter how busy you are, you can't go hungry."

Qi Tian took the giant demon queen's leg, which was three times his own size, and as his fingertips touched the warm meat, a long-lost appetite surged into his heart.

He opened his mouth and took a bite. The outer layer was crispy, the inside tender, and the oil burst in his mouth, filling the air with a rich aroma that lingered long after. As he chewed, a faint smile unconsciously crept onto his lips—it must be said that returning to being an ordinary person wasn't entirely without its advantages for Qi Tian, ​​such as being able to truly experience the flavors of delicious food.

He used to be an enhanced warrior, needing only one booster injection a month to maintain his bodily functions. He almost never actually ate, let alone experienced the joys of everyday life. Now, having shed that cold armor, he understands how truly moving the taste of life can be.

Fifth Master stood before the three-legged cauldron, gazing at the 3D projected map for a long time. His brows furrowed, and he asked, "Qi Tian, ​​why haven't you laid out the spiritual veins yet? With the scientific Dao patterns you demonstrated before, setting up a reasonable spiritual vein network shouldn't be difficult, right?"

"Of course it's not difficult." Qi Tian said vaguely but firmly while chewing on the hind leg meat of a demon beast, his tone full of confidence. "In my opinion, the whole system of cultivating immortality, once you strip away all the mystical and esoteric stuff and break it down, is just a very simple set of ternary Internet underlying code."

He put down the grilled meat in his hand, raised his hand and tapped the map in mid-air. A glint of wisdom flashed in his eyes as he continued, "As the saying goes, chips can replace spiritual roots, driving cultivation with computing power; particles can evolve spiritual energy, using microscopic power to construct the energy of heaven and earth; calculus can calculate barriers, precisely controlling the power of every inch of space; quantum entanglement can condense sword formations, launching attacks across space; entropy increase thermodynamics can reverse cause and effect, breaking the shackles of fate; nuclear fusion can forge a stellar nascent soul, condensing immense power; wave functions can tear apart the shackles of destiny, breaking free from the constraints of the Heavenly Dao... The so-called Heavenly Dao is nothing more than a super AI with self-awareness, controlling the rules and order of all heavens."

Fifth Master's eyes lit up with surprise and approval. He quickly asked, "Since you've already thought it through, why haven't you started planning yet?"

Qi Tian turned around, his gaze falling on the three-dimensional projection map of spiritual energy behind him. His eyes gradually deepened, and his tone became solemn: "First, once we begin the setup, we need a continuous supply of Qi and Luck as fuel to drive the entire spiritual vein network. But right now, Flower Fruit Mountain is dirt poor, with thin spiritual veins and scarce resources. Most of the monsters here are low-intelligence, vicious, and worthless junk, offering nothing of value. The two 4.0 Eternal Star-level Great Demons who actually have supplies are hiding from me, concealed in secret realms, and difficult to find. We can only wait, wait for the forces from all the heavens and myriad realms to enter Flower Fruit Mountain, let them fight and perish here, and use their destiny and resources to replenish our supplies."

He paused, his tone growing increasingly heavy: "Secondly, the core of the Flower Fruit Mountain architecture, besides the Qi and resources, is the architecture of the super AI Heavenly Dao. The AI ​​architecture must be built upon a sufficiently powerful magic weapon to support massive amounts of algorithms and data without crashing, blue screens, or lag. And right now, the best vessel I can find is this cauldron."

Fifth Master stepped forward, patted the body of the three-legged cauldron, making a dull thud, and said with a hint of helplessness, "But this cauldron is a defective product. It is not a true and complete Yongzhou Cauldron, so I'm afraid it can't support the super AI you mentioned."

"That's right!" Qi Tian blinked, a glint of cunning and determination flashing in his eyes. "So we need to collect the complete Yongzhou Cauldron, restore it to its original state, and then restart it!"

Upon hearing this, Fifth Master's expression changed drastically, his eyes filled with shock. He couldn't help but exclaim, "Are you crazy! Collecting the complete Yongzhou Cauldron, this, this is equivalent to resurrection..." His voice trailed off, as if he dared not utter that name, his tone filled with disbelief.

"That's right!" The flames of vengeance burned fiercely in Qi Tian's eyes, intense and frenzied, almost bursting forth. He gritted his teeth, speaking each word with chilling force: "I will resurrect the Tang Dynasty! I will bring forth the glorious Tang Dynasty, to punish this corrupt universe with the power of justice! I will make the Tang Dynasty return from hell, burning with the flames of vengeance, to trample every inch of this universe! I will make everyone in this universe pay the price for my sister's death!"

Fifth Master stared in astonishment at Qi Tian's appearance, his heart filled with turmoil.

He always thought that Qi Tian, ​​immersed in the Great Sage's Dharma form, would slowly be assimilated by the immortal nature, gradually lose his human emotions, and forget the sister who caused him so much pain.

But now it seems that he has not only not forgotten, but this obsession has been buried deep in his heart, growing wildly and becoming more and more obsessive.

He even went so far as to resurrect the Tang Dynasty and use the power of the entire dynasty to trample on all the heavens, all for his own personal vendetta. He didn't care about the Great Sage's legacy, the rise and fall of Flower Fruit Mountain, or even the Tang Dynasty itself; he just wanted everyone in the universe to pay for his sister's life.

It's not scary for someone to be crazy, it's not scary for someone to be knowledgeable, and it's not scary for someone to dote on their younger sister.

What's terrifying is that this insane person possesses knowledge and strategies capable of overturning the heavens, and is also a brainless siscon!

The myriad realms are the same; of all people, why did you have to provoke this stubborn, sister-obsessed girl?

In the world of a brother-obsessed brother, there is only his sister, nothing else!

"Fifth Master, there's no need to be shocked." Qi Tian patted the old Taoist's shoulder, his tone gradually calming down, but still carrying an undeniable firmness. "To be honest, my resurrection of the Tang Dynasty was just one step in my senior brother's plan. My senior brother, Sentinel Ye Feng, has a far grander scheme than mine, and his layout spans across the heavens, making it incomparably magnificent."

A hint of doubt flashed in Fifth Master's eyes as he slowly asked, "Really? What is his plan?"

Qi Tian's gaze swept into the distance, seemingly piercing through the East Sea and encompassing all the heavens and myriad realms. His tone gradually hardened with passion: "My senior brother, Ye Feng, first found the remnants of the Ming Dynasty, consolidating his power. Then, he sent his trusted followers, the Seven Warlords of the Sea, to infiltrate the mysterious Han Dynasty, secretly plotting and seizing control of its lifeline. Now, by a twist of fate, I have received the Yongzhou Cauldron of the Tang Dynasty. Of the nine cauldrons in the world—the Ming Cauldron, the Han Cauldron, and the Tang Cauldron—with three in hand, we already control a third of the fortune of the heavens. If I'm not mistaken, if my senior brother finds two more cauldrons and supports two more dynasties, the balance of fortune in the heavens will completely tilt in our favor."

He clenched his fist, his knuckles turning white, his voice growing increasingly resolute: "And when that time comes! That will be the moment when our carbon-based universe shatters the barriers of the heavens, breaks down the fourth wall, and surges into the myriad universes!"

"By then, I will settle all scores and avenge all wrongs! Any further waiting would be cruel to me!"

"Since they made me lose my sister, then I'll make them go and keep my sister company!"

"I want to create a lively world so that my sister won't be lonely over there!"

At this point, Qi Tian turned around and walked back to the three-legged cauldron, his gaze once again falling on the three-dimensional projection map. He suppressed his murderous aura, his expression focused, and began to meticulously set up a series of dungeon battlefields based on the terrain and monster distribution of Flower Fruit Mountain. Dragon pits, crystals, ambush points, skirmishes—every layout was fraught with danger, all for the purpose of reaping all the geniuses from the myriad realms who stepped into Flower Fruit Mountain.

In the time to come, Flower Fruit Mountain will no longer be a secluded immortal mountain, but will become a fiercely contested battlefield for all the realms. What he needs to do is stand atop this mountain and ruthlessly reap all the geniuses and prodigies who step into this place, using their destiny to nourish the Yongzhou Cauldron, sense the other fragments within the cauldron, and reassemble the complete Yongzhou Cauldron as soon as possible.

Time, like a knife, cuts down even the most arrogant; the path to immortality is filled with enchanting beauty!

With the lives of the proud as the foundation and destiny as the guide, only death can end death, blood can repay blood, and soul can awaken soul!

With their destiny, they nurtured the Yongzhou Cauldron, sensed the other fragments of the Yongzhou Cauldron, reunited the Yongzhou Cauldron, revived the Giant Tang Dynasty for their senior brother, and allowed the Giant Tang's war chariot to start running again, mercilessly and fairly crushing all the heavens and myriad realms!