109: All worlds gather in the primordial chaos, the Great Dao Monument reveals the final chapter, the path of protection begins eternally.

Morning light pierced the mist of the Hongmeng Realm, the vine walls of Shengxi Academy were covered in golden patterns, Little Kite in the kite nest flapped its wings, and golden radiance spilled across the courtyard.

Nian Xue squatted in front of the seedling shed, Little Color curled up on her lap, and her palm held a golden-tinged seed: "This is a tree seed from the Yuanwai Realm, let's plant it here."

A Qing exhaled warm Dragon Breath, softening the soil in front of the shed: "My Qi can help it sprout, later a outer source tree will grow here as well."

Lin Chen and Clear Snow walked over side by side, the Origin marks on their palms glowing warmly, blending with the academy's Life-Breathing Qi.

"Today is the hundredth anniversary of the founding of the Guardian Alliance, the messengers from the various clans of the Ten Thousand Realms are almost here." Clear Snow looked at the road outside the courtyard.

The Dao Source Clan Leader came holding a staff, with a crystal bead hanging from the tip, reflecting the scenes of the Ten Thousand Realms within: "All clans are preparing for the celebration, the Life-Breathing Qi is very thick."

Just as he finished speaking, laughter came from outside the courtyard. The first batch of messengers had arrived. The Spirit Plant Clan held newly cultivated life-breathing flowers, their petals tinged with gold, their fragrance wafting for miles.

"This is the 'Alliance Celebration Flower', it only blooms today, symbolizing the shared prosperity of Life-Breathing in the Ten Thousand Realms!" The Spirit Plant Clan Chief handed the flower to Nian Xue.

Nian Xue inserted the flower into a ceramic jar at the academy entrance. As soon as the flower touched the jar, it bloomed even more vibrantly, attracting Seedling-Urging Butterflies to dance around it.

Messengers arrived one after another. The Metal Clan pushed a newly cast Life-Breathing Bell, its body engraved with the patterns of various clans, shimmering with faint gold;

The Stone Spirit Clan carried a Life-Breathing Tablet, engraved with "Ten Thousand Realms Life-Breathing, Jointly Protecting the Same Origin," the characters permeated with Life-Breathing Qi;

The Sea Spirit Clan brought a bottle of life-breathing water, the water shimmering with golden waves, poured into the small pond in the courtyard, immediately giving birth to golden-scaled fish.

Messengers from the Yuanwai Clan also came, followed by several Beyond-Origin children holding new fruits from the outer source tree: "The tree has borne fruit, everyone have a taste!"

Nian Xue took the fruits and broke them to share with the children. The fruits were sweet and moist, containing Life-Breathing Qi, and the children ate with eyes curved in smiles.

At noon, the square in front of the alliance crystal was already crowded with people, the crystal glowing with golden radiance, reflecting warmth on everyone's faces.

Lin Chen stood on the high platform, the mark on his palm glowing: "A hundred years ago, we understood the true meaning of the Great Dao is 'Life'; a hundred years later, the Life-Breathing of the Ten Thousand Realms is flourishing, this is the achievement of all clans protecting together."

He pointed to the Life-Breathing Tree in the center of the square. The tree was planted from the Origin seed found in the Seed Source Valley a hundred years ago. Now it was a hundred zhang tall, its crown like an umbrella, its leaves tinged with gold.

"This tree is the witness of protection. Its roots spread throughout the Ten Thousand Realms, its leaves reflect the Life-Breathing of all clans. From now on, it is the 'Ten Thousand Realms Life-Breathing Tree'."

Just as he finished speaking, the golden leaves at the top of the tree rustled as if in response, dropping golden powder on everyone, a warm current spreading through their bodies.

The Dao Source Clan Leader struck the Life-Breathing Bell with his staff. The bell rang nine times, the sound reaching the Ten Thousand Realms. With each ring, the Life-Breathing Qi in the square grew thicker.

At the first ring, the life-breathing flowers in the Hongmeng Realm all bloomed, the sea of golden flowers undulating with the wind as if dancing;

At the second ring, the purification grass in the Spirit Plant Realm shimmered with gold, the patterns on the leaves moving like living things, flowing endlessly;

At the third ring, the outer source trees in the Yuanwai Realm bore fruit, fruits hanging from the branches, attracting small Beyond-Origin beasts to dance around the trees;

At the fourth ring, the life-breathing water in the Sea Spirit Realm rippled, golden-scaled fish leaping out of the water as if celebrating;

At the fifth ring, the Life-Breathing Web in the Void Realm glowed golden, the spatial rifts within the web completely closed, shimmering with Life-Breathing light;

At the sixth ring, the Life-Breathing Shields in the Stone Spirit Realm resonated, the shield patterns reflecting the sky, as if connected to the Life-Breathing Tree of the Ten Thousand Realms;

At the seventh ring, the life-breathing cannons in the Metal Realm shimmered with gold. The muzzles no longer gathered power but instead released Life-Breathing Qi, nourishing the plants and trees;

At the eighth ring, the Shengxi Arts of the Transcendence Realm spread, the technique's Qi enveloping all things, and injured beings instantly recovered;

At the ninth ring, the Life-Breathing Cores of the Ten Thousand Realms resonated, the core light reflecting the sky, condensing into a golden rainbow that fell on the top of the Life-Breathing Tree, making the tree even brighter.

After the bell stopped, Nian Xue held Little Color's hand and led the children of all clans to run under the Life-Breathing Tree, sowing seeds brought from each clan.

The seeds sprouted as soon as they touched the soil, vines wrapping around the tree trunk, flowers surrounding the tree roots. Soon, the area around the tree became a small garden, shimmering with golden radiance.

A Qing flew around the tree, exhaling Dragon Breath toward the flowers. The flowers grew faster, attracting Vitality, Seedling-Urging Butterflies, Dew Cleansing Worms, Sprout-Penetrating Earthworms, and Root-Moistening Snails to gather as if to protect.

"They're all here!" Nian Xue jumped up happily. "From now on, they will be the tree's protection team, guarding the Ten Thousand Realms with us!"

Little Color jumped onto the tree, her crystal claws touching the trunk. The tree patterns brightened as if in response. Little Color then brought a Beyond-Origin fruit in her mouth and placed it at the base of the tree as an offering.

Clear Snow unfolded the Ice and Snow Dao Origin Formation, the ice Qi enveloping the Life-Breathing Qi, condensing into ice sculptures depicting the scenes of various clans joining hands to protect Life-Breathing, lifelike and vivid.

"These sculptures are a new promise. From now on, no matter where the clans are, seeing the sculptures is like seeing the alliance, forever protecting Life-Breathing together, never betraying our original intention."

Lin Chen gathered Life-Breathing Qi in his palm and pressed it against the trunk of the Life-Breathing Tree. Words slowly appeared on the trunk in the languages of all clans, yet all of them wrote "Life."

"This is the final answer of the Great Dao. It's not conquest, not conflict, it's 'Life,' it's protection, it's letting all things live well."

Messengers from all clans stepped forward, palms touching the tree, injecting Life-Breathing Qi into it. The tree's golden radiance grew even more magnificent, its roots seemingly spreading underground, digging deeper.

As the sun set, the afterglow spilled onto the Life-Breathing Tree, its long shadow stretching across the square, across the Hongmeng Realm, as if across the Ten Thousand Realms.

Everyone sat around the tree, eating food brought from each clan, talking about the stories of protection over the past hundred years, their laughter carrying far away.

Nian Xue leaned against A Qing, with Little Color curled in her arms, looking at the golden rainbow atop the tree: "Daddy, will we go to new realms in the future?"

Lin Chen stroked her head and looked at the golden rainbow on the horizon: "We will, but not to conquer, but to send Life-Breathing seeds, so the plants there can grow well, and the beings there can live well."

Clear Snow nodded, the mark on her palm connected to the tree's golden patterns: "Protection has no end. As long as there is a place with Life-Breathing, there will be our path."

The leaves of the Life-Breathing Tree rustled again as if in agreement, the golden powder falling more densely, sprinkling on everyone, on every inch of land in the Ten Thousand Realms.

As night deepened, lamps from various clans were hung on the Life-Breathing Tree, the lamps glowing golden like stars fallen on the tree, illuminating the square and the path of protection.

A Qing lay beside the tree, dragon wings covering Nian Xue and Little Color as if protecting their dreams; Vitality nested by the lamps, Seedling-Urging Butterflies flew among the flowers, Dew Cleansing Worms crawled on the leaves, Sprout-Penetrating Earthworms burrowed underground, and Root-Moistening Snails spun silk by the roots. All things grew steadily in this warm light.

Lin Chen and Clear Snow stood before the tree, the marks on their palms glowing golden, blending with the tree's golden radiance, blending with the Life-Breathing of the Ten Thousand Realms.

A hundred years of protection, the Ten Thousand Realms' Life-Breathing flourishes; after a hundred years, the path of protection continues, with no end, only the endless warmth of life, only the "Life" passed down through generations, only the clans joining hands to protect these myriad lights, protect these plants and living beings, and embark on this endless journey of protection.

The final chapter of the Great Dao is not the glory of a single moment, but the life-breathing of year after year, the warmth of all things at peace, and the protection that continues forever—this is the ultimate answer, the eternal homecoming, and a new beginning.

(The End)