Reborn as a lotus, she initially refuses to hand it over to the state.

The words fell.

The mountain breeze passes through the ancient pine trees in front of the Zixiao Palace.

The room fell silent; no one spoke.

Zhou Zhenshan's words just now weren't exactly passionate or inspiring.

But it was like a heavy boulder, pressing down on everyone's hearts.

Yes.

No matter how strong the Lord of the Azure Lotus is, he can guard the Northern Mountain and contend with the Lord of the Moon Abyss.

But ultimately, it is not our own weapon.

We must not allow the human race to develop the habit of relying on the strong and shirking their own responsibilities.

"Thump!"

The Xuanwu Bell rang out once again.

The sound of the bell pierced through layers of clouds and resounded throughout Wudang Mountain.

On Xuanwu Cliff,

An old Taoist priest with snow-white hair and beard slowly descended the cliff top, step by step, through the clouds and mist.

He was wearing a faded, old Taoist robe.

A worn-out gourd hung from his waist.

The ancient sword behind him went back into its sheath silently, its edge completely concealed.

As he walked down step by step...

The surging spiritual energy of the entire Wudang Mountain instantly became peaceful and quiet.

The newcomer was none other than the founder of Wudang, Xuanweizi of Taihe Temple.

A veteran Qi Refining expert at the peak of the eighth level in this era.

He stood in front of the Zixiao Palace, not in a hurry to speak.

With a simple raise of his hand, a wisp of pale golden sword intent slowly rose from his palm.

This sword intent wasn't fierce or domineering; it appeared exceptionally peaceful. The moment everyone's gaze fell upon it,

The Wudang Mountains in front of us suddenly disappeared.

Instead, there is an endless, dark deep space.

In the darkness, a monstrous black tide swept across the land.

Countless abyssal beasts rammed into the human city walls.

The ancient stone gates are cracking.

A gigantic, silver-black hand, obscuring the entire starry sky, is slowly pressing down on the human world from beyond the heavens.

The faces of countless young awakened individuals present turned deathly pale instantly.

Their instinct was to back away.

But he found that his feet were as if they were nailed to the ground, and he could not move.

Xuanweizi's calm voice rang out: "You have cultivated for so long, have you ever thought about why you are cultivating?"

A young awakened individual from the Northwest Military Region gritted his teeth and declared, "To become stronger!"

Xuanweizi looked at him and continued, "And then what happens after you become stronger?"

The young man was stunned and couldn't answer.

Xuanweizi pressed further, "Is it to seize the spirit mine? To pursue fame and fortune? Or to gain the respect and flattery of others?"

"If it's just for these selfish desires,"

"Then every bit of power you cultivate will eventually become a weapon to oppress others and destroy the world."

hum!

The pale golden sword intent trembled slightly.

In the darkness before their eyes, countless distorted human figures appeared.

They were once awakened humans as well.

Hunting spirit beasts for power, destroying mountains and ley lines for resources, and compromising and bowing to the Black Tide to survive.

In the end, dark cracks grew inside the body.

They completely degenerated into monsters even more ferocious than the Abyss Beasts.

"The first question in border defense."

Xuanweizi said calmly, "First, you must guard your own true self."

"Once people's hearts are corrupted and greed and evil thoughts arise, evil spirits and monsters from beyond the heavens can invade the human world without even breaking down the door."

As soon as these words were spoken,

Zhang Xuanling, the contemporary Celestial Master of Longhu Mountain, suddenly shuddered.

The lightning pattern between his eyebrows suddenly lit up.

These days, Longhu Mountain has been researching and improving the Soul Purification Thunder Technique.

No matter how much he deduced and cultivated, he was always missing the last crucial level.

Thunder can exorcise demons and destroy evil, but it cannot illuminate the good and evil in people's hearts, nor can it suppress evil spirits.

Xuanweizi's phrase "guard your own heart"

It instantly dispelled the fog of his long-standing bottleneck.

Zhang Xuanling suddenly understood: "Thunder is not only used to kill and exorcise demons, but it can also illuminate the soul and calm people's hearts."

He immediately closed his eyes and formed a hand seal.

boom!

A golden-purple thunderbolt crashed down from the sky above Zixiao Palace.

The Thunder did not injure anyone.

It landed directly on his head, condensing into a palm-sized Dragon-Tiger Thunder Seal.

Within the Thunder Seal, a dragon and a tiger lay dormant, amidst a vast expanse of lightning.

As the light swept across the entire area, several Awakened beings whose bodies still contained residual Abyssal Corrosion Black Qi instantly emitted a mournful hiss and vanished without a trace.

Watching this scene, Zhang Baoyi smiled through his cloudy eyes: "Good, the Dragon Tiger Thunder Technique of Dragon Tiger Mountain has finally truly mastered the essence of suppressing the soul and guarding the heart."

Zhang Xuanling opened his eyes, and his cultivation level surged wildly.

Mid-stage seventh rank!

Late stage of seventh rank!

Ultimately, it stabilized at the peak of the late seventh tier.

He solemnly bowed to Xuanweizi and said, "Thank you for your guidance, senior."

Xuanweizi nodded: "What you have comprehended is your own Dao, and it has nothing to do with me."

As soon as he finished speaking, he raised his hand and grasped the ancient sword on his back.

The tip of the sword touched the ground.

boom!

Instantly, dense mountain and river patterns appeared on the bluestone floor of Zixiao Palace.

The patterns spread out, crossing the Wudang Mountains, traversing the Yangtze River, Kunlun Mountains, Beishan Mountains, and the East China Sea, covering the entire land.

Finally, it solidified in mid-air into a vast and illusory map of the land of Kyushu.

Everyone looked down and saw that the landscape map was already covered with dense cracks.

Beishan Tongmen, Wudang Fengtianmen, Nanjiang Ancient Ferry, Donghai Chaoyan, Southwest Wanling Ancient Battlefield, and countless other spatial rifts hidden in the mist, yet to be discovered.

"Second question about guarding the boundary."

Xuanweizi's voice rang out again: "What is the meaning of protecting the earth and its mountains and rivers? Spirit mines can be mined, spirit materials can be used, and mountains and rivers can be used to cultivate with the power of heaven and earth."

"But everything must have its limits and bottom line. If humanity only knows how to take and plunder from the heavens and earth, and never repairs the wounds of the mountains and rivers or protects the foundation of the earth."

"One day, mountains will crumble, rivers will dry up, and extraterrestrial demons and monsters will descend upon the human world!"

In an instant, scenes from the past flashed through everyone's minds: the destroyed mines of Beishan, the polluted spiritual plants and beasts, and the mountains and ley lines eroded by black nails.

Chen Wuji looked down at the River-Suppressing Stele behind him, remaining silent for a long time. The Bajiquan he practiced was always fierce and domineering.

His punches were like a mountain collapsing and the earth splitting; a single move could shatter the enemy's bones.

But only now did he fully realize the truth and recall the battle at Beishan Tongmen.

Chu Zhou stabilizes the mountain rocks with its roots, while Shan Kui suppresses the earth's veins with its ancestral veins.

True strength does not lie in shattering mountains and rivers or wantonly destroying them, but in protecting the peace and stability of a region with one's own power.

"Bajiquan!" Chen Wuji muttered to himself in self-reflection, "If it can only kill enemies and break through enemy lines, but can't protect our country and its land, what kind of top-tier martial art is it!"

boom!

The bluestone beneath his feet suddenly sank half an inch, and his immense power no longer erupted outwards to kill, but instead transformed into countless heavy earth piles, deeply embedded in the Wudang earth vein.

The river-suppressing monument behind them shook violently.

The blurred mountain and river patterns on the monument instantly became clear and complete.

His cultivation level soared, reaching the late stage of the seventh rank and then the peak of the seventh rank.

With the Eight Extremes Sinking Mountain Force fully mastered, Qin Zhenyuan slowly gripped the black blade on his back not far away, his five fingers suddenly tightening.

The blade trembled violently, and a heavy, steady sword intent burst forth from the scabbard, spreading in all directions.

He gazed at the dense cracks on the landscape painting and suddenly understood.

The knife in his hand was never just for killing enemies.

We must also cut off calamities and protect the peace and stability of future generations.

My name is Zhenyuan.

Qin Zhenyuan's eyes were resolute as he said in a low voice, "In this life, I will wield the sword to cut off the scourge from the mortal realm and guard all worlds!"

Clang!

The black blade was drawn half an inch from its sheath, and a magnificent, dazzling black-gold light shot straight into the sky.

Without splitting the sky or slaying people, it fell directly into the Nine Provinces Landscape Map. A spatial rift that had long existed in the northern mountains was healed and smoothed out under the cleansing force of the sword intent.

Qin Zhenyuan's spiritual pressure exploded completely, and the barrier of his realm that had been trapped for so long shattered instantly!

Breakthrough, early stage of eighth rank!

Xuanweizi looked at him and said, "Now your sword truly has the meaning of guarding the abyss and protecting the realm."

Qin Zhenyuan sheathed his sword, solemnly clasped his hands in a fist salute, and said nothing more.

The original sharp and fierce edge has faded, replaced by a more steadfast and dignified presence, as if protecting the land.

Zhang Baoyi, leaning on his peachwood staff, watched the three men successively achieve enlightenment and breakthroughs. He looked up and asked, "Xuanweizi, today you publicly preached and enlightened all living beings. Are you planning to push all the top human experts to the front line of the defense of the realm to face the extraterrestrial calamity?"

Xuanweizi calmly looked back: "Old fellows like you and me, who have lived for countless years, have we reached this point, is there any way out?"

Zhang Baoyi threw his head back and laughed heartily, brimming with heroic spirit: "Well said! Then today, this old man will protect this sky and this land for Longhu Mountain!"

boom!

The peach wood cane crashed heavily to the ground.

The sea of ​​clouds surged, and endless golden and purple lightning descended from the sky.

Above Wudang Mountain, they converged into a boundless, giant pool of thunder.

The phantom images of dragons and tigers intertwined and swirled within the Thunder Pool.

The roar of dragons and the howl of tigers echoed throughout the mountains and the wilderness.

Zhang Baoyi's cultivation continued to rise, from the early stage of the eighth rank to the middle stage of the eighth rank, and the Dragon-Tiger Thunder Pool Formation was taking shape.

This formation can cover a vast territory, purify the evil energy of the abyss, and suppress evil spirits in the world.

Zhou Zhenshan quietly watched the transformation unfold before him: the military, the Ninth Bureau, ancient martial arts sects, the spiritual energy academy, and countless human powerhouses with different backgrounds, personalities, and stances.

At this moment, they all stand atop Wudang Mountain, guarding the same land of China.

He instantly understood that the true strength and power of the human race never relied on any one invincible top expert.

Rather, it is when disaster strikes that millions of ordinary people are willing to unite and work together to protect their homes.

hum!

A black and gold city-guarding token appeared in his palm.

The nine mountain and river patterns on the token lit up simultaneously, fully activating the city's defensive forces. Zhou Zhenshan's cultivation level soared from the late stage of the seventh rank.

He eventually stabilized at the peak of the seventh rank. Although he did not step into the eighth rank, everyone could clearly sense that...

As long as he is in a human city.

The will and spiritual energy of the entire city's soldiers and civilians can be gathered by him to form an impregnable defensive array.

Zhou Zhenshan bowed and thanked him, saying, "Thank you for your guidance, senior."

Xuanweizi shook his head: "I only asked you three questions about your true nature. Those who truly understand and break through the bottleneck have always been yourselves."

After speaking, he looked up at the vast sky and remained silent for a moment.

A majestic voice resounded throughout Wudang Mountain: "The third question for guarding the boundary: A powerful enemy from beyond the heavens is approaching. Gentlemen, do you dare to step forward to defend the heavens and protect the ancestral realm of humanity?"

Everyone looked up at the same time.

With a gentle slash of the Xuanweizi Ancient Sword, the thick sea of ​​clouds was instantly parted by the sword's intent.

Above the clouds, there were no sun, moon, or stars.

There was only a vast, dark expanse of space that inspired despair.

A shattered ancient heavenly gate, the ruins of a broken and fallen world, and the broken branches of a towering tree pierced by chains.

One after another, bizarre and enormous black warships are traversing the endless sea of ​​stars.

The thousands of awakened individuals in the audience suddenly stopped breathing.

"That...that's the outer world?!"

Xuanweizi's voice was low and solemn: "The Beishan Tongmen and the Moon Abyss Priest you know are merely the most insignificant of the countless forbidden forces outside the heavens."

"The universe is vast, and there are countless powerful enemies from beyond our realm who covet our ancestral world."

"I am not here today to impart invincible divine skills,"

"I just want everyone to understand that spiritual practice is not about being high above others and looking down on all living beings."

"It is so that when catastrophe strikes, when the sky collapses and the earth caves in, you can hold out for a moment longer than ordinary people and protect one more area."

The words fell.

Before the Purple Cloud Palace, thousands of awakened humans rose in unison, their voices shaking the heavens and the earth: "We are willing to defend our ancestral realm to the death, not retreating a single step!"

A powerful roar shot straight into the sky, and the entire Wudang Mountain Protection Array suddenly lit up.

Meanwhile, at the same time that Xuanweizi was distributing leaflets in Wudang Mountain, on the other side, in the Qinghai wilderness, at the Dragon Kingdom Academy of Sciences, the Sky Dome Deep Space Spiritual Energy Observation Center.

This place is located in a high-altitude, uninhabited area, free from any urban light pollution.

Giant telescopes are pointed at the deep night sky around the clock.

In the central control room, dozens of psionic screens lit up.

The young chief observer, Shen Xinglan, stood solemnly in front of the main screen: "Reviewing the data from the Tianqiong-3 satellite!"

The researcher quickly checked: "The data matches perfectly. We verified the data from Tianqiong-7, and the data is consistent."

"The data from the lunar surface observation station has been verified and all matches are correct!"

A deathly silence fell over the control room.

On the main screen, seven striking red dots are arranged in a neat arc-shaped battle formation.

Behind the light spot, there are more than three hundred tiny light spots arranged in a dense array.

These extraterrestrial aircraft had no exhaust plumes or conventional propulsion trajectories.

Completely defying the rules of geophysics, it moved steadily and uniformly toward the blue planet.

An older researcher tentatively whispered, "Could it be an optical illusion caused by the refraction of the spiritual energy?"

Shen Xinglan shook her head decisively and pulled up a precise trajectory map: "Impossible, the spiritual tide phantoms would not continue to slow down, much less form such a neat formation."

On the screen, the seven main red dots decreased in sync and steadily.

It was clearly a well-trained interstellar army.

As they approached their target, they proactively adjusted their formation and prepared for battle.

Zoom in on the main target!

As the camera zoomed in, the blurry black shadow gradually became clear, and a massive, dark silver ship, as large as a floating mountain range, appeared in everyone's view.

The ship's hull was smooth and cold, without windows or cannons.

Silver-gray spiritual patterns, like blood vessels, crisscrossed the entire hull.

At the most prominent point on the bow of the ship is a strange totem: a withered ancient tree whose crown has been severed by a giant blade and whose roots are firmly nailed shut by chains.

The moment the totem became clearly visible, the academy of sciences identification badge on Shen Xinglan's chest suddenly vibrated violently.

The data on the screen was fluctuating wildly, rising and falling wildly.

She immediately retrieved the original energy file of the Beishan Jianmu seed and compared it.

The next second, everyone's face turned completely ashen.

The broken tree totem of the giant ship from beyond the realm matches the original fluctuations of the Jianmu tree species from Beishan with a 97% match!

Shen Xinglan grabbed the highest-authority red communicator and directly dialed the elders' hotline.

The moment the call connected, she said in a deep voice, "Mr. Ye."

On the other end of the phone, Old Ye's calm voice immediately came through: "Speak."

"Deep space has detected the intrusion trajectory of an unknown civilization's fleet, consisting of seven main battleships and 362 escort ships, all heading straight for Earth!"

There was a brief silence on the other end of the phone, then Old Ye asked in a deep voice:

"Distance, arrival time."

"The main fleet is expected to arrive in Earth's outer orbit in twelve days. The enemy's twelve reconnaissance vanguard ships will reach near-Earth airspace within seventy-two hours!"

"Is the other party's intention clear?"

Shen Xinglan stared at the broken tree totem on the screen, her tone heavy: "We can't determine the level of hostility yet, but based on the totem energy matching results, this extraterrestrial fleet is 100% heading for our Blue Star!"

Upon hearing this, Elder Ye fell silent.

He quickly gave instructions: "Continue monitoring. I will convene a high-level meeting immediately."

Almost at the same time that Elder Ye was on the phone with Shen Xinglan, on the other end, in the boundless, cold starry sea.

Seven massive black and silver ships silently traversed the broken asteroid belt.

The flagship in the center, far exceeding the size of the other warships, exudes an overwhelming aura of power.

Ship name: Zhezhi.

The ship's hull was wrapped in countless black and silver chains, intertwined to resemble a withered giant tree.

The ship's interior was not filled with cold, mechanical cabins, but rather with a dark, inverted sea of ​​trees, with thousands of branches hanging from the dome, and on each branch hung a sleeping silver-armored warrior.

At the highest point of the bridge, atop a throne woven from black tree roots,

A tall figure clad in heavy silver and black armor opened his eyes.

His skin had an eerie silver-gray hue, and a narrow vertical pupil stood between his brows. With each opening and closing of the pupil, all the surrounding spiritual energy was annihilated.

Seventh Hunting Court Judge: Theros.

A silver-armored adjutant strode forward, knelt on one knee, and bowed: "Your Excellency, we have once again located the energy fluctuations of the Jianmu remnant. The coordinates have been confirmed!"

Ceres looked up.

A three-dimensional projection of the blue star appeared in mid-air above the bridge.

On the planet, six colorful beams of light from the earth's veins shot straight into the sky.

They correspond to Heilong Mountain, Beishan Mountain, Changbai Mountain, Tokyo Bay, Zhenhai Relic Island, and Fuyue Stone Ridge, respectively.

On the land of Lingnan

A gigantic, silvery-blue lotus phantom quietly sits amidst the mountains and rivers, exuding a majestic aura.

Theros's vertical pupil between his brows suddenly contracted: "The abandoned ancestral realm of the dead, with its spiritual energy depleted for ten thousand years, has actually been able to give birth to a king-level being again? Interesting."

The adjutant reported in a low voice: "Confirmed to be the fluctuations of a ninth-tier life form. The target is a king among spirit plants, and it has formed a deep symbiotic bond with the remnant of the Jianmu tree."

The Hunter's Court commander, whose back was covered in bone wings, looked shaken and asked, "Executive, a new king has been born in the abandoned ancestral realm. This is a special situation. Should we report to the main court for assistance?"

Theros spoke indifferently, with absolute arrogance: "No need. It's just a spirit plant that has just entered the King Realm. My Seventh Plant Hunting Fleet can easily suppress and take it down."

The Bonewing Commander reported the battle situation again: "Seven main ships, each with combat power equal to the peak of the eighth tier, and 362 escort ships providing all-round protection."

"Twelve vanguard reconnaissance ships will arrive at the target within three days and can activate the Boundary-Suppressing Array at any time to temporarily suppress and seal off the ninth-tier domain!"

Theros raised his hand and struck a blood-red cross mark at the location of Black Dragon Mountain projected onto Blue Star.

"First, send a reconnaissance ship into the country to accurately locate the core of the Jianmu remnant species, sever all its root systems, and isolate it from the nourishment of heaven and earth."

The commander pressed further, "What if that Lotus King stubbornly defends the Jianmu tree and refuses to hand it over?"

Theros stared at the azure planet, his tone icy and ruthless: "If you don't hand it over, we'll destroy its mountains, sever its roots, and finally dissect its very essence. The remnants of the Jianmu tree are spoils of war for my Hunting Court, and we are determined to have them!"

Just then, in a corner of the bridge.

An old prisoner, his limbs pierced by black and silver chains and his body covered in withered wood scales, looked up.

It had a huge knife wound running through its chest, and its breath was waning, but it suddenly let out a hoarse laugh.

"Heh... Theros, you're late."

Ceres glanced at him coldly: "What brilliant ideas do you have, you mere tree slave?"

The aged prisoner gazed at the projected image of the azure lotus, his laughter laced with mockery: "The fact that the Jianmu tree is willing to take root in this wasteland means it has found a home willing to risk its life to protect it. The Ancestral Realm of today is no longer the dead realm you once plundered at will!"

"If you dare set foot on earth, this Lotus King will bury you all, you Starhounds, beneath the mountains and rivers of the Nine Provinces!"

Theros's vertical pupils flashed with a cold, crimson light.

He raised his hand and pointed, and a sharp black silver chain instantly pierced the old prisoner's chest.

puff!

Dark green blood gushed out.

Despite the excruciating pain, the prisoner continued to sneer and refused to back down.

Seros looked down at them and said indifferently, "We have hunted countless King-level spiritual plants in the past. This mere Ancestral Realm Green Lotus is nothing special."