198: Chapter 198 Eternal Imprisonment in the Abyss, A New Legend

The ten-thousand-year period arrived as promised.

The morning bell of Yongning City rang on time as usual, its chime passing through the Martial Arts Arena of the Guardian Academy, through the square in front of the Monument of Heroes, and through the streets and alleys where the commoners had just awakened.

Everything was as usual, as if nothing had happened.

But Guardian Lin Jingyun knew that everything was coming to an end.

He stood in front of the Monument of Heroes, his white hair fluttering gently in the morning breeze.

Ten thousand years of time had left deep marks on him—his face was covered with wrinkles, his steps were no longer vigorous, and his gaze was no longer sharp.

But his back remained straight, his hand still clutched that green lotus jade talisman, and his bosom still concealed the fragment of that battle blood spear.

After Ling Shuang left, he guarded alone for another three thousand years.

Over the three thousand years, he watched generation after generation of guardians grow, watching the Disciples of the Guardian Academy grow from green youths into formidable generals capable of standing on their own.

And he watched the monitoring network of the Investigation Department cover every corner of the Star Sea.

Over the three thousand years, he personally bade farewell to countless comrades-in-arms and personally carved countless names onto the Monument of Heroes.

Every name was a vibrant Life, and every story was tragic and heroic.

He thought he would get used to it, but he didn't.

Every single time, his heart would ache.

That early morning, he came to the Monument of Heroes as usual, and as usual, placed a bouquet of fresh flowers in front of the monuments of Ling Shuang, Zhou Zhiting, and Song Xinghe respectively.

Then, he raised his head and looked towards the edge of the Star Sea.

There, the space-time Seal was loosening.

He sensed it; he had begun to sense it since three thousand years ago.

That fluctuation was so faint that even the most precise Magical Artifact of the Investigation Department could not capture it, but his Origin could perceive it.

Chaos, space-time, and Karma—these three Laws intertwined and entangled within his body, possessing intricate connections with that Seal.

The Seal was weakening, and a new threat was approaching.

The Patriarch was right; no Seal could be eternal.

The Universe needed balance; creation and destruction were inherently two sides of the same coin.

Once the Mother of Evil Spirits vanished, a new destruction would be born.

And now, it had arrived.

He took a deep breath and turned to walk back to the small courtyard.

On the table lay a Jade Slip, which he had written last night.

Recorded within the Jade Slip were all his insights over ten thousand years, the complete Legacy of the Three Great Spirits, and his exhortations to future generations.

He tucked the Jade Slip into his bosom, then picked up his brush and wrote the final line of characters on the rice paper on the table— "Guardian Lin Jingyun, eternally suppressing the abyss, protects the Star Sea."

The brush fell, and the ink dried.

He rose and walked out of the small courtyard.

Inside the Alliance Grand Hall, representatives from various domains had already gathered.

The new Guardian Patriarch—his Disciple, a young man named Qin Tian—stood in the main seat with a solemn expression.

Ten thousand years had passed, and the Guardian Patriarch had changed through three generations.

Each generation was younger, more energetic, and more driven than him.

He looked at them, just as he had looked at his former self back then.

"Teacher, are you really going to…" Qin Tian's voice was somewhat choked with emotion.

Guardian Lin Jingyun smiled slightly, raised his hand to pat his shoulder, and said, "This is the last thing this master can do."

He turned around, facing the representatives of various domains, his hoarse yet clear voice spreading across the entire hall: "Everyone, the space-time Seal is about to loosen."

A new threat is about to descend.

I am going to the land of the Seal, using my body as an array to eternally suppress the abyss."

An uproar broke out inside the hall.

The representatives from various domains stood up one after another, wanting to dissuade him.

Guardian Lin Jingyun raised his hand, signaling them to quiet down.

"This is my mission as a guardian."

Ten thousand years ago, the Patriarch used his body as a sacrifice to Seal the Ash-Eater Clan.

Ten thousand years later, I will use my body as an array to eternally suppress the abyss.

The path of protecting the Dao is inherently paved with the lives of generation after generation of guardians."

He paused, his gaze sweeping across every face: "But you do not need to grieve.

Because I am not going to my death, but to complete my final mission.

The power of the Three Great Spirits has already merged into my Origin. As long as I do not die, the Seal will not break.

As long as the Seal does not break, the Star Sea will be safe."

He turned to face Qin Tian: "Qin Tian, from today onward, you are the guardian of the Star Sea.

The Guardian Academy, the Investigation Department, and the Realm Guardian Army are all entrusted to you.

Remember, guardianship is not a matter for one person; it is a matter for a group of people.

No matter how strong a single person is, they cannot guard the entire Star Sea by themselves.

Only when everyone unites can it truly be guarded."

Qin Tian knelt on the ground, tears streaming down his face: "Teacher, this Disciple will remember."

Guardian Lin Jingyun helped him up, took one last look at him, and then turned and walked out of the hall.

Outside the hall, the sunlight was just right.

In the streets and alleys of Yongning City, the commoners were busy.

Wisps of smoke from breakfast stalls rose lazily into the air, and the playful noises of children could be faintly heard.

The Disciples of the Guardian Academy were sweating profusely in the Martial Arts Arena, and the Disciples of the Investigation Department were busy in the towers.

Everything was so peaceful and tranquil.

Guardian Lin Jingyun looked at all of this, a surge of warmth welling up in his heart.

This was the Star Sea he had protected his entire Life, and this was the reason he was willing to give everything.

He took a deep breath, transforming into a streak of golden light that soared into the sky, flying toward the direction of the edge of the Star Sea.

The space-time ark was still parked in the square, its silver-white hull shining brilliantly in the sunlight.

He did not take the space-time ark, choosing instead to fly using his own power.

This was the last time; he wanted to fly slowly, to look slowly, and to engrave this Star Sea in his heart forever.

He flew past Yongning City, past the Guardian Academy, and past the Monument of Heroes.

The Chaos-colored light at the top of the monument flickered slightly, as if seeing him off.

He flew past Lingxi Realm and saw commoners drawing water by the spiritual spring, their laughter as crisp as silver bells.

He flew past Cangwu Domain and saw Disciples practicing swordsmanship on the sword peak, their sword lights shining like rainbows.

He flew past Qingmang Mountain and saw Yao Race youths sparring with human Disciples, getting along without distinction.

He flew past Meteor Minor Realm and saw that the names on the stone tablet beside the teleportation array were still clear.

Every place bore his footprints.

Every place held his memories.

He flew very slowly, so slowly that it took him a full month to reach the edge of the Star Sea.

But he was not in a hurry, because he knew this was his last time looking at this Star Sea.

The land of the Seal was even more desolate than he had imagined.

Ten thousand years ago, he set up the space-time Seal here, completely sealing off the entrance to the Void Abyss.

Now, the Seal was still there, but the runes upon it had dimmed significantly.

Those gold, silver, and azure runes were no longer bright, instead becoming grayish and hazy, as if covered by a thin veil.

In the center of the Seal, a faint crack was spreading.

Within the crack, grayish-black mist could be faintly seen surging.

That was the aura from the depths of Chaos, the gestation of a new destruction.

Guardian Lin Jingyun landed in front of the Seal and sat down cross-legged.

He closed his eyes, and the Chaos Origin surged out from within his body, transforming into golden light that merged into one with the runes on the Seal.

Those dim runes lit up once again, the cracks began to heal, and the grayish-black mist was forced back into the abyss.

But he knew this was only temporary.

His power was consuming, the Seal was weakening, and a new threat was approaching.

He had to make a choice—either return, wait for the Seal to completely shatter, and then fight alongside the entire Star Sea;

or stay behind, use his body as an array, and eternally suppress the abyss.

He chose the latter, because he did not want to see anyone else sacrifice themselves.

He opened his eyes and looked in the direction of the Star Sea.

There, the lights of Yongning City could no longer be seen, but he knew they were still there.

The commoners there were still living and working in peace, the Disciples there were still diligently practicing, and the guardians there were still growing strong.

He smiled slightly, took out the green lotus jade talisman from his bosom, and gently placed it on the Seal.

The jade talisman lit up, a green lotus bloomed, and a gentle light enveloped the Seal.

The Patriarch's power would protect this Seal and protect this Star Sea.

He then took out the fragment of the battle blood spear and placed it on the Seal.

The golden light on the fragment flickered slightly, like a heartbeat.

Senior Zhiting's power would be with him.

Finally, he took out the transparent crystal—the remains of the world devoured by the Mother of Evil Spirits.

The spots of light inside the crystal were still slowly flowing, resembling a miniature Universe.

He placed the crystal in the center of the Seal and said softly, "Rest in peace.

I will be here, accompanying you."

He closed his eyes, and his Chaos Origin operated at full power.

Golden light surged out from within his body, merging into one with the Seal.

His body began to glow, starting from his feet, turning bit by bit into spots of golden light.

Those spots of light drifted across the Seal, intertwining with the runes, fusing with the jade talisman, and echoing with the fragments.

He was dissipating, just like the Patriarch back then, just like Zhiting back then, and just like Xinghe back then.

But his consciousness did not dissipate.

He perceived every rune of the Seal, every pulsation of the abyss, and every breath of the Star Sea.

He merged into one with the Seal, merged into one with the abyss, and merged into one with the Star Sea.

He became the Seal.

The golden light gradually dimmed, transforming into a faint golden halo that shrouded the Seal.

The halo was very faint, so faint that it was almost imperceptible, but it truly existed.

It would remain there, guarding this Seal and guarding this Star Sea until eternity.

In front of the Monument of Heroes in Yongning City, Qin Tian knelt on the ground, tears streaming down his face.

Next to the Chaos-colored light at the top of the monument, a faint golden halo had appeared.

That was Guardian Lin Jingyun's power, his final gift left to the Star Sea.

Shen Qiuyu stood in front of the monument, holding the chief token of the Investigation Department in her hands.

The runes on the token were slowly flowing, monitoring every corner of the Star Sea.

At the edge of the Star Sea, a faint golden light was flashing.

That was the direction of the Seal, the direction of Guardian Lin Jingyun.

"Senior, please rest assured.

The Investigation Department, I will guard it well."

She turned around and walked toward the tower of the Investigation Department.

There were still many things to do, and many people to guard.

She could not stop, because this was her promise to Song Xinghe, and her promise to Guardian Lin Jingyun.

On the Martial Arts Arena of the Guardian Academy, young Disciples were practicing swordsmanship.

They did not know what had happened, nor did they know that Guardian Lin Jingyun had already eternally suppressed the abyss.

They only knew that today they had learned a new sword move, and tomorrow they must continue to work hard to Cultivate.

A young Disciple stopped his sword and looked toward the direction of the edge of the Star Sea.

"Senior Brother, where do you think the Patriarchs are?"

His Senior Brother thought for a moment and said slowly, "They are all in the heavens, in the Star Sea, and in every place that needs protection."

The young Disciple looked thoughtful, then gripped the sword in his hand and continued practicing.

The sword light shone like a rainbow, illuminating the Martial Arts Arena and the sky of Yongning City.

The sun set in the west, and the golden afterglow sprinkled over the Monument of Heroes.

On the monument, those names shone brilliantly in the sunlight.

Patriarch Bai Yunzhou, Guardian Patriarch Ling Shuang, Realm Guardian General Zhou Zhiting, Investigation Department Chief Song Xinghe, Guardian Lin Jingyun...

And countless unfamiliar names, countless sacrificed soldiers.

Their stories were carved on the monuments, recorded in books, and praised in every corner of the Star Sea.

Inside the Scripture Pavilion of the Guardian Academy, three thousand scrolls of Legacy lay quietly on the shelves.

Every scroll recorded the comprehension of a Law, from entry-level to mastery, from superficial to profound.

Anyone, as long as they had sufficient Comprehension Ability and Dao Heart, could learn from them.

This was the most precious wealth Guardian Lin Jingyun left to the Star Sea, and the proof that the fire of protecting the Dao would never be extinguished.

On the tower of the Investigation Department, that star map was still shining.

On the star map, the situation of various domains in the Star Sea was clear at a glance.

At the edge of the Star Sea, a faint golden halo was slowly flowing.

That was the direction of Guardian Lin Jingyun, the direction of the Seal, the direction of guardianship.

Inside the Alliance Grand Hall, Qin Tian stood at the main seat, facing the representatives of various domains.

He took a deep breath, his voice spreading across the entire hall: "From today onward, the Star Sea Alliance enters a state of permanent alert.

The Investigation Department will expand its monitoring range, the Realm Guardian Army will maintain full combat readiness, and the Guardian Academy will accelerate talent cultivation.

Ten thousand years later, a new threat will descend, and we must be prepared."

The representatives of various domains agreed in unison, and no one raised any objections.

Because everyone knew that the peace Guardian Lin Jingyun traded his Life for could not be destroyed in their hands.

They must guard this Star Sea well, and guard those who had protected this place with their lives.

Qin Tian walked out of the hall and came to the Monument of Heroes.

On the monument, Guardian Lin Jingyun's name was at the very bottom, placed side by side with Patriarch Bai Yunzhou.

He looked at that name, tears sliding down silently.

"Teacher, please rest assured.

The Star Sea, I will guard it well."