The Last Sentinel

Amidst surging clouds and auspicious mists, the Nine Heavens Palace remains tranquil and languid year-round. Soft jade beds are laid out on the celestial couches, and flowing light surrounds the beams, creating a scene of peaceful and leisurely life.

But this languid and peaceful atmosphere was shattered by a series of hurried and chaotic footsteps.

Hua Xiaobai looked panicked, cold sweat beading on his forehead, his brow furrowed with anxiety. He rushed to the immortal bed, shaking the slumped-over Ninth Boss Bai Lan Ge with both hands, his voice trembling uncontrollably: "Ninth Boss, something terrible has happened!"

"Wake up! Something terrible has happened!"

The person on the couch was extremely languid, exuding a relaxed, ethereal aura, completely unaware of any danger. The lazybones slowly opened his sleepy eyes, stretched his limbs in a long, languid yawn, his eyes still heavy with sleep, and casually yawned, his tone lazy and drawn-out: "What's the big deal! Why are you panicking!"

As soon as he finished speaking, he calmly propped himself up on the jade couch, his neck turning slightly, his joints making a soft cracking sound. His movements were relaxed and elegant, exuding a nonchalant leisurely air, without the slightest sense of urgency that a formidable enemy was about to arrive.

Hua Xiaobai wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, his chest heaving violently, unable to suppress the panic in his heart. He reported urgently in a very fast voice: "I just attended the meeting and received absolutely accurate intelligence that the Three Calamities, Four Disasters, Five Tribulations, and Eight Difficulties that the Heavenly Court's Prison Division has been suppressing for many years, and those forbidden lands of calamity that have been sealed for hundreds of millions of years, have all become restless and rebellious today!"

His gaze was grave, and his tone grew increasingly urgent: "All the malevolent forces have broken free of their shackles, turned their full force around, and are now marching directly towards the battlefield of Flower Fruit Mountain!"

"Huaguo Mountain is now the abode of the Great Sage Equaling Heaven, a place where he reigns supreme. But with all these evil spirits from the heavens attacking simultaneously, it will instantly become a perilous and chaotic place!" Hua Xiaobai was utterly bewildered, feeling a chill run down his spine. "I'm completely dumbfounded. This situation is simply too outrageous!"

"Those calamities and villains are all extremely vicious, and the Heavenly Court has spent countless years failing to completely suppress and eradicate them! They have a deep-seated grudge against our carbon-based universe, and the vast majority of them are our sworn enemies. This time, they have come out in full force, and the consequences are unimaginable!"

Hua Xiaobai clenched his fists tightly, his face filled with urgency: "Boss Jiu, we must immediately send a message to Lord Qitian, ordering him to withdraw to the Carbon-Based Universe at once. The Flower Fruit Mountain battlefield cannot be defended any longer; it must be abandoned!"

The hall was filled with the aura of immortals, remaining serene. The lazybones picked up a bottle of celestial wine from the table, tilted his head back, lightly rinsed his lips, and casually let out a few soft hiccups, his expression indifferent to the point of apathy: "Oh, I see."

This nonchalant response completely shattered Hua Xiaobai's tense nerves. Looking at the seemingly unperturbed and carefree Ninth Boss before him, he instantly broke down, his voice rising sharply, "Lord Qitian is in dire straits, his life is in danger! How can you not be worried at all!"

The lazybones casually wiped his cheek, a hint of nonchalant doubt in his eyes, and said in a flat tone, "Yes, Qi Tian is indeed in danger, but what does that have to do with you and me? You are safe and sound in the Immortal Palace, completely unharmed."

Hua Xiaobai raised his hand and covered his forehead tightly, his heart surging with anger. An impulse to smash the lazy guy on the spot rushed to his head. He was full of helplessness and frustration. With a great enemy at hand and the world in peril, this person had no sense of the big picture at all, only caring about lying down and doing nothing. It was simply impossible to do anything about it.

Oblivious to the anxiety of those around him, the lazy guy stretched lazily again, his eyes filled with weariness: "Just do what you're supposed to do, stop making such a fuss and overreacting all the time... ugh!"

Before he could finish speaking, Hua Xiaobai, unable to bear it any longer, suddenly raised his foot and kicked out hard!

With a muffled thud, the lazy guy staggered and tumbled to the ground in a sorry state, his scattered immortal aura instantly dissipating by more than half.

He was stunned by the fall, and as he braced himself against the ground, he looked up, both angry and bewildered: "What, what are you doing!"

"I can't take it anymore! I'm going to beat you up today!" Hua Xiaobai's pent-up frustration finally exploded, her eyes filled with resentment.

"How dare you bully the boss! You're an insubordinate!" The lazy guy clutched his waist, his face full of grievance and anger.

"I've wanted to teach you a lesson for a long time! If it weren't for the power of your true self, I would have taught you a lesson for your lazy nature long ago!" Hua Xiaobai's anger had not subsided, and he approached step by step.

"You, you bastard!"

"Nonsense! I'm not only a bastard, I'm a scoundrel! Take this punch!"

Inside the celestial palace, a farcical scuffle erupted. This proved the most straightforward truth: ineffective communication, with its endless explanations and well-intentioned advice, is no match for direct confrontation. A real punch is the most sincere expression of "loyalty" to a do-ditch boss.

Hua Xiaobai, as a civilian strategist, was far inferior in combat power to the Tiger Warriors, but compared to the lazy, lazy guy who spent his days lying around doing nothing and neglecting his training, it was a clear case of being outclassed. Before long, the lazy guy was beaten black and blue, his cheeks swollen like steamed buns, and he kept wailing and begging for mercy.

"Stop hitting me! Stop hitting me! I give up!" The guy, sprawled on the ground, waved his hands frantically, pleading urgently, "The information you mentioned, I already knew about it before it happened!"

Hua Xiaobai immediately withdrew her fist, casually straddling his shoulders, her eyes filled with surprise and doubt: "What? You knew all along? Then why did you pretend to be indifferent just now and not say a word!"

The lazy guy rubbed his swollen and painful cheek, wincing in pain, and said in a calm and nonchalant tone, "I'm lazy. I'm known for hating trouble. I don't care about things I can avoid. Why make things difficult for myself?"

Hua Xiaobai quickly stood up and helped him up, her anxiety surging again. She hurriedly asked, "Tell me the details! Why did those forbidden lands of calamity suddenly act strangely, turning their forces around to besiege Flower Fruit Mountain?"

The lazy guy raised his hand and gently touched the bruises on his face. His expression finally changed from nonchalant to serious: "I have not investigated the specific details, but I can confirm that this strange event that swept through the heavens is inextricably linked to the other seven clone brothers."

Hua Xiaobai frowned and asked in a deep voice, "Are they the other seven bosses? Then what about the original self, who wasn't involved in this?"

"No." The lazybones slowly shook his head, his tone solemn. "My true self is focused on seclusion and ascetic cultivation, detached from worldly affairs. All the turmoil this time was orchestrated by the old self. He is the last avatar of my true self remaining in the world, the closest to my true self's peak state, spirited, arrogant, and always acting recklessly. Once he makes a move, it will inevitably stir up chaos in the heavens."

Hua Xiaobai's heart skipped a beat, and she quickly pressed for an answer: "So what exactly is your plan?"

The guy who was just going through the motions looked slightly downcast and uttered four words in a low voice: "Listen to the dragon's roar."

"Speak like a human!" Hua Xiaobai sighed helplessly, rubbing her forehead.

"To put it bluntly, it's about waging an earth-shattering war," said the "Lazybones." "You can think of it as nine bodies gathering, nine lines of war breaking out, launching a top-tier battle that spans all the heavens and myriad realms!"

Hua Xiaobai lowered her head in thought, lightly tapping her chin with her fingertip, as if pondering: "So, you're planning to launch a cosmic version of the Ping'an-Golpa War?"

"It's not just that." The "Lazybones" gazed intently, his tone tinged with horror. "This war isn't limited to our own unified universe; it involves countless forces across multiple dimensions and myriad forms of the universe. Old Zi's thinking is very clear. The reason the Sabitians' invasion failed was their cowardice and fear of fighting to the death. This time, what he wants to do is drag every force into the fray, regardless of past grudges, pulling them all into the war and returning us to the chaotic dark age!"

"This is insane!" Hua Xiaobai gasped, feeling a chill run down his spine. "This old man is just too crazy!"

"I told you so," said the guy who was just sitting around. "He was the personality at its most exuberant and unruly. At his peak, he dared to pilot mechs into other worlds, break through the heavenly gates, lead eight hundred chosen ones to conquer the Perfect Continent, and sweep away alien races! The current version of himself is the ultimate amplification of invincible combat power. He acts without any scruples and is capable of any earth-shattering change."

As the two were quietly analyzing the battle and deducing the situation, a deep and leisurely laugh suddenly drifted from outside the solemn celestial palace, piercing through layers of celestial mist and clearly entering the palace: "As expected of an opponent I acknowledge. When you lie dormant, all is well; but when you do move, it causes a world-shaking upheaval."

Upon hearing this, Hua Xiaobai and Bailange froze simultaneously, instantly composed themselves, and looked up at the palace gate. Outside the palace, celestial mist surged, and a sinister wind blew, with holy celestial light and pitch-black demonic energy fiercely intertwining, instantly creating an atmosphere of extreme tension.

A tall, slender figure in black robes slowly stepped into the hall, surrounded by a dense, profound, dark demonic aura. His imposing presence was overwhelming, filling the entire celestial palace and making it difficult to breathe. The newcomer was none other than the first of the Seven Deadly Sins, the Original Sin of Greed!

Hua Xiaobai's heart tightened suddenly, his expression stiffened, and he quickly bowed respectfully: "Young Master, why have you come in person? I was planning to gather the intelligence and report to you immediately..."

The black robe fell down, obscuring the newcomer's face, with only a pair of deep, dark eyes visible in the shadows, quietly scrutinizing the lazy guy in front of him, his gaze sharp, as if trying to see through the origins of things.

After a long silence, the original sin of greed slowly spoke, his voice low and hoarse: "This is not a crude trick of creating an avatar. This is a brand new divine power after a complete transformation into a personified being, comparable to the top-level divine power of the three-dimensional high martial arts system."

The lazy guy shed all his languor, stood tall, and met the other's gaze with neither arrogance nor servility: "I have seen you before in my own memories, the uncrowned king of the seven deadly sins, the first original sin—greed."

The greedy young master raised his hand indifferently, his tone detached: "Just empty fame. My origins and my true self are the same as yours; I am obsessed with ultimate power and disdain the vanity of authority."

The guy who was just going through the motions narrowed his eyes slightly and asked directly, "You've come here today to kill me?"

"Haha—" The greedy young master chuckled, his demonic energy trembling slightly. "I have no intention of killing or waging war. All I seek in my life is plunder. Besides, I am not on the same path as Mo Lijie. Hua Xiaobai should have told you that you don't need to regard me as an enemy of Ye Feng's Sentinels. I am by no means your adversary."

The "slacker" still had a hint of caution and doubt in his eyes, not daring to completely believe it.

Seeing this, the greedy young master raised his hand and clenched it in mid-air. Dark demonic energy surged from his palm and gathered in mid-air to form a vast sky screen. The dark light screen burned fiercely, reflecting scenes of tragic and magnificent war.

On the dark, desolate, and eerie land, the turbid waves of the Yellow Springs surged and churned, their ghostly aura obscuring the sun and moon. Countless colossal warships stretched across the sky, clashing fiercely with the overwhelming legion of skeletal giants. Cannon fire roared, corpses flew, and the flames of war spread for miles. In the center of the flagship's cold deck, a bewildered-looking, seemingly withdrawn and lonely young man stood silently, gazing at the ravaged battlefield. The surrounding raging flames seemed utterly indifferent to him.

The guy stared at the screen, his eyes wide with shock, and murmured in disbelief, "It's that reclusive guy! What is he doing..."

"The battlefield of the Eastern Han Dynasty." The Greedy Prince spoke up at the right time, slowly explaining the cause and effect, "He gathered the forces of six of the Seven Warlords of the Sea and persuaded Emperor Xian of Han to send troops to launch a surprise attack on the strongholds of the three great natural disasters, severely damaging their foundations in one fell swoop. Zhang Jiao of the Yellow Turban Army took advantage of the chaos to enter the game, seizing a large number of victories and strengthening himself in the process."

"After the battle, the entire Eastern Han army retreated to the forbidden area of ​​Huaguo Mountain. The three great natural disasters, having suffered a severe defeat, were filled with resentment and vowed to destroy the Eastern Han plane. To avenge their humiliation, they turned their forces around and launched a fierce attack on Huaguo Mountain!"

"The three calamities have complicated grudges with other heretics. One move affects the whole situation. The enemies and allies of the three calamities all rushed to the battlefield of Flower Fruit Mountain."

"No wonder he's called 'That Lonely Guy,' he's a true autistic, quietly getting things done!" the guy exclaimed.