532: Imperial troops return

On Zizhu Peak, clouds rolled and unrolled in a scene of peace and tranquility.

Gu Changge sat quietly by a stone table, his Divine Sense spreading out like invisible ripples, silently sweeping across the entire Xuanhuang Great World.

At the foot of Dao Yuan Mountain in the Central Region, the crowd was boisterous as Prodigies competed, their Luck converging like dragons and tigers, stirring the winds and clouds.

Ancient Freaks and the heroes of the current age vied for the opportunities of the Dao Zang Academy, creating a bustling scene of the Golden Age.

However, his gaze merely swept over the commotion briefly before passing by.

His Divine Sense descended into the depths of the Azure Profound Sect, entering the Azure Cloud Secret Realm, which was shrouded by layers of Formations and the power of the Secret Realm.

Inside the Secret Realm, the Spiritual Qi had become so dense it had turned into a literal ocean of spiritual liquid, and dao principles were as clear as chains.

Led by Xuan Yangzi, all the Peak Masters, Elders, and even Core Disciples of the Azure Profound Sect were in secluded cultivation here.

They were focused and undistracted, their auras steady as their cultivation bases rose frantically at a pace of a thousand miles a day.

Senior Brother Xuan Yangzi has become increasingly stable, leading the Sect's development with total concentration. Good.

His gaze then inadvertently swept over the Burning Heaven Palace.

Lie Tianxiong's series of maneuvers were all clear to him.

Gu Changge shook his head slightly and let out a small laugh.

Small-scale antics do nothing for the big picture, yet they add a bit of vitality to this world. I'll let him be for now.

Now that the Xuanhuang Great World's world origin has been replenished, Spiritual Qi is recovering, and the myriad Daos are manifesting. Cultivation has become easier for all living beings, truly presenting a scene of thriving prosperity.

This was exactly what he had hoped to see when he reversed the heaven and earth's decline.

With a thought, an object appeared in Gu Changge's hand.

It was the Supreme Emperor Weapon that Great Emperor Qing Cang had once carried into battle, stained with the blood of countless foreign powerhouses!

The war halberd was silent, yet it naturally emitted a desolate, tragic, and unyielding Battle Intent.

It lay quietly in Gu Changge's palm, its shaft cold, and the dark red marks upon it seemed to be dried Emperor Blood.

Gu Changge's fingertips lightly brushed over the halberd's body, feeling the wisp of will that remained inextinguishable despite the passage of eons.

His gaze seemed to pierce through eternal time and space, seeing that aloof figure who had fought a bloody battle for the Human Race until his final moment.

He spoke to the war halberd, as if talking to himself or communicating with the weapon, his voice calm yet carrying an indescribable tone:

“Silent for eternity, you must have been lonely.”

“Now, the world has changed. Although there are still conflicts among the younger generation of the Human Race, there is no shortage of heroes emerging. The atmosphere is magnificent, far better than the desolation when you fought your bloody battles.”

“Let's go!” Gu Changge slowly stood up.

“I will take you to see what this world you risked your lives to protect looks like today.”

As his voice fell, Gu Changge took a step forward, his figure vanishing from the top of Zizhu Peak.

In the next moment, he appeared within the vast expanse of the Xuanhuang Great World.

It saw the current scene of the Xuanhuang Great World, with Spiritual Qi steaming and life flourishing.

It saw many Cultivators who had been stuck at a Bottleneck for years breaking through one after another, and new Sects and Families dotting the mountains and rivers like sparks of fire.

It also saw the Forbidden Life Zones, which had brought endless history of blood and tears to the Human Race, dissipating.

This was a world apart from the desperate scene of a collapsing world and a lack of successors when the Great Emperor fought to protect it.

The emperor weapon transmitted a vague thought: The duty of defending the land is fulfilled, old enemies have turned to dust, and the future generations are doing very well.

It seemed the mission could be handed over.

Gu Changge sensed this thought and nodded slightly.

A light as if from the dawn of Chaos gathered at his fingertip, and he tapped it gently toward the war halberd.

The light merged in, and the ancient cracks and dao wounds on the halberd began to mend and disappear at a speed visible to the naked eye.

The dull body of the halberd glowed once more with a restrained yet profound dark light, and that unyielding Battle Intent that could slash through the sky became purer and more complete.

The emperor weapon had been completely repaired by him, returning to its supreme emperor Divine Might.

After doing all this, Gu Changge's figure flickered, and he returned once more to the outside of the silent Qing Cang Emperor's Tomb.

He did not enter the tomb, but instead stood atop the desolate mountain peaks before the entrance.

His gaze swept over the ancient mausoleum below where the Great Emperor's bones were buried, then looked toward the faintly visible, vibrant Xuanhuang Great World in the distance.

Then, with a flick of his hand, he gently thrust the newly repaired Qingtian War Halberd into the highest peak beneath his feet.

“Clang—!”

A clear, resonant metallic ring, like a dragon's cry, dispelled the eternal silence of the surroundings.

The Qingtian War Halberd was thrust directly into the hardest rock at the mountain's summit, sinking three inches deep. The shaft stood straight toward the sky, and the blade glinted with a dark luster under the dim light.

An Emperor Might and awe-inspiring Battle Intent, though not ostentatious, were as heavy as a mountain, spreading out like water ripples to form an invisible barrier that gently enveloped the entire Emperor's Tomb area.

This barrier was not an absolute isolation, but rather a form of screening and protection.

Those who approached with ill intentions or heavy malice would feel a piercing pain in their Divine Soul, making it impossible to move a step.

But those with a pure Heart-Nature and respect would feel like they were in a spring breeze, and could even receive a baptism from the unyielding Battle Intent within.

“You no longer need to remain silent in the darkness, nor do you need to fight any longer.”

Gu Changge spoke calmly to the war halberd, his voice echoing in this empty place.

“Stay here, bathe in the light of the sun, moon, and stars, and feel the rhythm of heaven and earth. Guard your master's final resting place, and witness with your own eyes what kind of prosperous scene the mountains and rivers he protected will become in the future.”

“If there are those in future generations with fate or sincerity, they may come here to feel your master's spirit from back then.”

“Your mission has shifted from guarding through bloody battle to silent witnessing. This, perhaps, is also a form of Perfection.”

The Qingtian War Halberd stood solemnly on the mountain peak and vibrated slightly, emitting a low and long hum, as if in response, and also as if making a final farewell.

Then, its brilliance was completely restrained. Aside from the invisible barrier of Emperor Might, it looked just like an ancient stone halberd thrust into the mountain top, weathered by wind and rain, merging into one with the mountain, the tomb, and this world.

It was no longer a slaughtering emperor weapon to be fought over or worshipped, but had transformed into a symbol, a monument, a silent and eternal sentry.

Watching over the tomb, and also watching over the distant mountains and rivers that its master once fought for, which were now radiating new life.

Gu Changge took one last look at the halberd and the tomb, and his figure slowly faded, as if merging into the Void Realm, and disappeared.

Outside the Emperor's Tomb, the mountain wind continued as before, leaving only that war halberd pointing straight at the sky, silently recounting the tragedies of the past and the hopes of the future.

On Zizhu Peak, Gu Changge's figure quietly emerged, as if he had never left.

The tea on the stone table was still warm, and the clouds rolled and unrolled as before.

The farewell and arrangement at the Emperor's Tomb just now were, to him, merely an ordinary small matter in the long passage of time.

Once his mind was set, he no longer dwelled on it.

From then on, time flowed quietly, and the world changed.

Gu Changge followed his own plan, gradually merging the ten portions of world origin into the veins of the Xuanhuang Great World's heaven and earth.

Each integration of the Origin was like a silent spring rain, nourishing all things.

A year's time passed in the blink of an eye.