162: Chapter 162 The Legacy Endures, A New Era

Ling Shuang stood at the highest point of the Alliance Grand Hall, gazing at the city named after the Patriarch, her eyes filled with calmness.

Exactly ten years had passed since that decisive battle.

Over the past ten years, the Star Sea Alliance had undergone earth-shaking changes.

The six defense lines were completely repaired, even sturdier than before.

The Realm Guardian Army was reorganized, and its combat power was stronger than before.

The scale of the Guardian Academy had expanded tenfold, with branch academies in every realm, and the Guardians cultivated by it spread across the Star Sea.

Communication between various realms became more frequent, with shared resources and cultural integration, truly realizing the vision of Myriad Realms as one family.

As for the jade box containing the Origin of the Patriarch, Ling Shuang had kept it close to her person all along.

Over the past ten years, that cyan-green light spot had grown brighter and more solid.

The figure within the light spot also became clearer and clearer.

That was the Patriarch, Bai Yunzhou.

His outline could already be discerned, but his eyes were still closed, as if he were in a deep slumber.

Every day, Ling Shuang would take out the jade box and chat with the Patriarch.

She spoke of the changes in the Star Sea, the rebirth of the Guardian Academy, and the development of the various realms.

She knew the Patriarch could hear.

Because every time she spoke, that light spot would gently pulse, as if responding.

On this day, Ling Shuang took out the jade box as usual, only to find that the light spot was pulsing more violently than ever before.

The radiance flickered on and off, as if something was about to happen.

Ling Shuang's heart tightened, and she hurriedly summoned Zhou Zhiting and Song Xinghe.

Seeing the sight inside the jade box, the two of them were equally shocked.

"Is the Patriarch... about to wake up?"

Zhou Zhiting's voice was trembling.

Song Xinghe observed carefully for a moment and slowly said,

"It is not waking up; the Origin is condensing."

"The Patriarch might be reshaping his Physical Body."

Ling Shuang's heartbeat accelerated.

Reshaping his Physical Body?

That meant the Patriarch truly had a chance to return!

The three of them guarded the jade box for three whole days and nights.

Three days later, the radiance within the jade box suddenly erupted.

The intensity of that light dyed the entire grand hall in a cyan-green hue.

Within the radiance, a figure slowly condensed.

First a pair of feet, then legs, torso, arms, and finally the head.

When the light dissipated, Bai Yunzhou stood before the three of them.

His eyes were closed, and his entire body was shrouded in a faint cyan-green halo.

That halo was soft and warm, containing the vibrant vitality of the Law of Creation.

The three of them froze in place, unable to speak for a long time.

Bai Yunzhou slowly opened his eyes.

Those eyes were still clear, still profound, and still carried the gentleness they were familiar with.

"Ling Shuang, Zhiting, Xinghe."

"I am back."

The voice was very soft, yet it exploded in the hearts of the three like a thunderclap.

Ling Shuang's tears streamed from her eyes, and she rushed forward to hug him tightly.

Zhou Zhiting and Song Xinghe also rushed up, and the four of them embraced tightly.

Ten years.

Exactly ten years.

They thought they would never see the Patriarch again.

They thought the Patriarch would forever remain on that battlefield.

But now, the Patriarch had returned.

Bai Yunzhou gently patted Ling Shuang's back, his voice gentle.

"Alright, stop crying."

"Didn't I come back?"

Ling Shuang let go of him and wiped away her tears, but no matter how she wiped, they wouldn't stop.

"Patriarch, how... how did you come back?"

Bai Yunzhou smiled slightly and raised his hand.

In the palm of his hand, a cluster of cyan-green light emerged.

Within that light, countless tiny runes were pulsing.

"The true power of the Law of Creation is to create Life."

"Including creating one's own Life."

"Back then, I detonated my Origin and perished together with the six Grey Devourer Progenitors."

"But before that, I left a wisp of Origin mark in the core of the Law of Creation."

"That wisp of mark was the Foundation for me to reshape my Physical Body today."

Zhou Zhiting listened in utter astonishment.

"So, Patriarch, you planned this from the very beginning?"

Bai Yunzhou shook his head.

"It wasn't a plan, it was a gamble."

"I gambled that the Law of Creation could protect my Origin, and that you could guard this wisp of Origin for ten years."

"I won the gamble, so I came back."

"If I lost, I would truly be dead."

Song Xinghe sighed, "Patriarch, your gamble was simply too big."

Bai Yunzhou smiled.

"I had to gamble; given the situation back then, there was no other choice."

"Fortunately, I won the gamble."

The four of them looked at each other and smiled, their laughter echoing in the grand hall.

Ling Shuang suddenly remembered something and hurriedly asked,

"Patriarch, you have just recovered, do you need to rest?"

Bai Yunzhou shook his head.

"No need, the Law of Creation has completely reshaped my Physical Body."

"My current condition is even better than before."

He raised his hand and waved it gently.

A streak of cyan-green light flew out and landed on the star map in the center of the grand hall.

The star map instantly came alive, countless light spots flickering to display the conditions of the various realms.

"Over these ten years, you have done very well."

"The Star Sea is more prosperous than before, and the connections between various realms are closer."

"The Disciples cultivated by the Guardian Academy have already spread across the Star Sea."

Ling Shuang felt a bit embarrassed.

"This is what we ought to do."

"The peace you traded with your Life, Patriarch, of course we must guard it well."

Bai Yunzhou looked at her, his eyes filled with gratification.

"Ling Shuang, you have grown up."

"These ten years, you have done even better than I expected."

Ling Shuang's eye sockets turned red again.

Zhou Zhiting stepped forward and said,

"Patriarch, now that you are back, this position of Alliance Master..."

Bai Yunzhou raised his hand to interrupt her.

"No, the Alliance Master remains Ling Shuang."

"The news of my return must not be made public for now."

"I want to see in secret what the Star Sea has truly become over these ten years."

Ling Shuang was slightly startled.

"Patriarch, are you going to patrol the realms?"

Bai Yunzhou nodded.

"Yes, just like back then, turning into a cyan rainbow Incarnation to patrol the Star Sea."

"To see the lives of the people in various realms, and the growth of the Guardian Academy Disciples."

"And also to see if there are any potential threats."

The three of them exchanged glances, understanding the Patriarch's intent.

He did not want to alarm too many people; he just wanted to quietly look at this land he had protected with his Life.

Bai Yunzhou looked at them and smiled slightly.

"Rest assured, I will not be gone for long."

"When I finish patrolling the Star Sea, I will return."

"At that time, we will once again guard this land together."

The three of them nodded solemnly.

The next morning, just as dawn was breaking.

A streak of cyan rainbow rose from Yongning City, flying towards the depths of the Star Sea.

That cyan rainbow was very faint, so faint it was almost invisible.

But Ling Shuang knew that was the Patriarch.

She stood before the Monument of Heroes, gazing at the distant cyan rainbow.

"Patriarch, have a safe journey."

Zhou Zhiting and Song Xinghe stood by her side, likewise gazing in that direction.

The three stood side by side until the cyan rainbow completely vanished from sight.

Above the Star Sea, Bai Yunzhou turned into a cyan rainbow and slowly moved forward.

The first stop was the Meteor Minor Realm.

That was the place where he had fought his last battle.

The crack had been completely sealed, leaving only a shallow trace behind.

Beside the crack stood a stone tablet.

Inscribed on the tablet were the words: "Land of Decisive Battle, Heroic Souls Eternal."

Bai Yunzhou landed before the tablet, looking at the names carved upon it.

Those were the soldiers who had fallen in that decisive battle.

One name after another, one vibrant Life after another.

He raised his hand, and a streak of cyan-green light sprinkled onto the tablet.

Those names instantly lit up.

As if those heroic souls were responding to his arrival.

"Rest in peace."

"The Star Sea has already found peace."

He turned around and continued forward.

The second stop was Qingmang Mountain.

The lives of the Yao Race were more prosperous than before.

The Yao Race and humans had thoroughly integrated, making no distinction between each other.

The grandson of the Old Ape Patriarch was now the leader of Qingmang Mountain.

He was leading a group of Yao Race youths to Cultivate the Dao of guardianship.

Among those youths, there were humans and members of the Yao Race, getting along harmoniously.

Bai Yunzhou looked at this scene, his eyes filled with gratification.

The third stop was Lingxi Realm.

The Spiritual Veins of Lingxi Realm had completely recovered, even denser than before.

The Realm Lord had long since changed; it was a young woman.

She was a descendant of the survivors from that great battle back then.

She was leading the common people to rebuild a destroyed village.

Smiles were on the faces of the common people, and their eyes were filled with hope.

Bai Yunzhou did not disturb them, merely watching quietly.

Then, he continued forward.

The fourth stop, the fifth stop, the sixth stop...

He walked through realm after realm, looking at common person after common person.

There were human cities, mountain forests of the Yao Race, and villages where various realms integrated.

Every place was full of vitality.

Every place exuded an aura of peace.

Ten years had truly changed a lot.

Those people he had protected with his Life were now living good days.

The Guardian Academies he had established with his own hands were now cultivating batches upon batches of Guardians.

The soldiers he had fought alongside were now at their respective posts, continuing to guard this land.

An indescribable emotion welled up in Bai Yunzhou's heart.

There was gratification, being moved, and also a trace of faint sorrow.

What brought gratification was that the Star Sea had truly found peace.

What moved him was that the people he protected were all living well.

What brought sorrow was that some of the comrades he had fought shoulder-to-shoulder with were no longer around.

But he knew this was the destiny of a Guardian.

Guarding with Life, passing down the Legacy through death.

As long as the spirit never perished, guardianship would exist forever.

The realm patrol lasted for a full year.

One year later, the cyan rainbow returned to Yongning City.

Ling Shuang, Zhou Zhiting, and Song Xinghe were already waiting in front of the Monument of Heroes.

Seeing the cyan rainbow descend, the three hurriedly went to greet him.

"Patriarch, you have returned."

Bai Yunzhou nodded and looked towards the Monument of Heroes.

On the tablet, his name was still at the very top, shining brilliantly.

He smiled slightly.

"Ling Shuang, Zhiting, Xinghe."

"During this past year, I have seen a lot."

"I have seen the prosperity of the Star Sea, and the peace and happiness of the common people."

"And I have also seen your hard work over these ten years."

"I am very satisfied."

Joy appeared in the eyes of all three.

Bai Yunzhou continued to speak.

"Starting from today, I officially step behind the scenes."

"Ling Shuang, you will continue to serve as the Guardian Patriarch."

"Zhiting, you continue to command the Realm Guardian Army."

"Xinghe, you continue to manage the Investigation Department."

"I will continue to guard you from the shadows."

Ling Shuang was slightly startled.

"Patriarch, are you not coming back?"

Bai Yunzhou shook his head.

"It's not that I am not coming back, but that I will no longer appear in the identity of the Alliance Master."

"I want to be an ordinary Guardian, secretly patrolling the Star Sea."

"If a real crisis arises, I will appear at the very first moment."

"If there is none, let the younger generation forge ahead on their own."

The three of them exchanged glances, understanding the Patriarch's intent.

He was tired.

He wanted to rest.

But he would not leave; he would always watch over them.

Bai Yunzhou looked at them, his eyes filled with deep affection.

"You are the people I trust the most."

"Entrusting the Star Sea to you sets my mind at ease."

He turned around, transformed into a cyan rainbow, and rose up once more.

This time, he did not go far away, instead landing on top of the Monument of Heroes.

The cyan rainbow turned into a faint radiance, merging as one with the Monument of Heroes.

From then on, at the top of the Monument of Heroes, there would forever be a cyan-green radiance.

That was the Patriarch, watching over them.

Ling Shuang knelt before the tablet, bowing deeply.

Zhou Zhiting and Song Xinghe likewise knelt down.

The three of them remained kneeling for a long time.

Behind them, the morning bell of the Guardian Academy rang once more.

The bell tolls spread across Yongning City and throughout all the realms of the Star Sea.