199: Chapter 199 Ten Thousand Years Later, the Seal Loosens

The morning bell of Yongning City still rang on time.

A full ten thousand years had passed since Guardian Lin Jingyun suppressed the Void Abyss forever.

Ten thousand years.

What a long, long time.

It was so long that the stars of that era had already changed their trajectories.

It was so long that the mountains and rivers of that era had already changed their appearance.

It was so long that the language of that era had turned into ancient scripts.

Only the bell of the Guardian Academy had never changed.

Path Guardian Ancestor Qin Hao, the great-great-great-grandson of Qin Tian and the new generation of Guardian Patriarch, stood in front of the Monument of Heroes.

He gazed at the densely packed names on the monument.

Ten thousand years had passed, and many more names had been added to the Monument of Heroes.

Some were soldiers who had died in battle, and some were Elders who had died of old age and illness.

Some were Investigation Department Disciples who had gone missing while exploring the unknown.

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

At the top of the monument, that Chaos-colored radiance was still bright.

Beside it, that faint golden halo was still circulating.

That was the power of Patriarch Bai Yunzhou and the power of Guardian Lin Jingyun.

Ten thousand years had passed, and they had never been extinguished.

Path Guardian Ancestor Qin Hao took a deep breath and turned to walk towards the Alliance Grand Hall.

Today, representatives from various domains gathered together to discuss a major event.

The Seal at the edge of the Star Sea had loosened.

The grand hall was packed with people.

After ten thousand years, the scale of the Star Sea Alliance was ten times larger than back then.

New domains continuously joined, and new races constantly emerged.

New civilizations were constantly born.

Today's Star Sea was no longer the small Star Sea of back then.

Instead, it was a massive Star Domain spanning tens of thousands of light-years.

But no matter how large the scale, the flag of the Guardian Academy had never changed.

The original aspiration of the Guardian had never changed.

Path Guardian Ancestor Qin Hao stood at the main seat, his gaze sweeping across the entire audience.

He was only three hundred years old this year, considered the youngest among the Guardian Patriarchs.

But his gaze was steady, his Qi was restrained, and his every movement already possessed the demeanor of a master.

"Everyone, urgent intelligence has been transmitted from the Investigation Department."

His voice was not loud, but it clearly spread across the entire audience.

"The space-time Seal at the edge of the Star Sea has loosened."

The runes on the Seal dimmed over a large area, and cracks were spreading.

According to the current speed, in three years at most, the Seal would completely shatter.

There was an uproar in the grand hall.

Representatives from various domains looked at each other in dismay; some showed terror on their faces, while others looked solemn.

Some clenched their fists.

A young representative stood up and asked, "Patriarch, if the Seal breaks, what consequences will there be?"

Path Guardian Ancestor Qin Hao was silent for a moment and slowly spoke.

"Beneath the Seal is the Void Abyss."

Within the Void Abyss, the destructive power from the depths of Chaos was sealed.

Back then, Guardian Lin Jingyun used his body as a formation to suppress the Void Abyss forever, thus protecting the peace of the Star Sea for ten thousand years.

Now that the Seal had loosened, the destructive power could overflow at any time.

By then, the Star Sea would face a catastrophic disaster.

The grand hall was utterly silent.

Everyone knew the story of Guardian Lin Jingyun, and everyone knew what that Seal meant.

Ten thousand years had passed, and they thought peace would last forever.

But now, the end of peace was right before their eyes.

An old representative stood up with a trembling voice.

"Patriarch, what should we do then?"

Path Guardian Ancestor Qin Hao raised his hand, and a beam of spiritual light lit up on the star map.

That was the direction of the edge of the Star Sea and the location where the Seal was.

"I have already sent people to the sealed land to closely monitor the condition of the Seal."

At the same time, all domains entered the highest state of battle readiness, and the Realm Guardian Army assembled in full force.

The Guardian Academy accelerated talent cultivation, and the Investigation Department expanded the monitoring range.

Not letting go of any anomalies.

He paused, his gaze becoming profound.

"There is one more matter."

In the Legacy left behind by Guardian Lin Jingyun, a possibility was mentioned.

If the Seal loosened, it could be reinforced with the power of the Three Great Spirits.

However, the power of the Three Great Spirits was dispersed among three talismans, which were kept by the three chief Elders of the Guardian Academy.

These three talismans could only be activated simultaneously when the Star Sea faced a catastrophic disaster.

He looked at the three white-haired old men sitting in the front row.

They were the chief Elders of the Guardian Academy and also the Guardians of the power of the Three Great Spirits.

The Chaos talisman, the space-time talisman, and the Karma talisman had been passed down in their hands for ten thousand years.

The three Elders stood up simultaneously and said in unison, "The talismans are here and can be activated at any time."

Path Guardian Ancestor Qin Hao nodded, but did not give the order to activate them.

Because activating the talismans meant that the Star Sea had truly reached a moment of Life or death.

He did not want to reach that step, hoping to find other solutions before the Seal shattered.

After the meeting ended, Path Guardian Ancestor Qin Hao did not rest and went directly to the Investigation Department.

After ten thousand years, the tower of the Investigation Department had been rebuilt three times.

Today's tower stood a hundred zhang tall, and the runes on the outer walls were densely packed.

Every rune slowly circulated, monitoring every corner of the Star Sea.

On the top floor of the tower, that star map was still shining.

It was more precise and comprehensive than back then.

The head of the Investigation Department—a female Cultivator named Director Su Yun—was busy in front of the star map.

Seeing Path Guardian Ancestor Qin Hao enter, she hurriedly stood up and bowed.

"Patriarch, you have come."

Path Guardian Ancestor Qin Hao waved his hand, signaling her to continue her work.

He walked up to the star map and looked at that region at the edge of the Star Sea.

There, a faint golden halo was flickering.

That was the power of Guardian Lin Jingyun and his last trace left in this Star Sea.

"How is the condition of the Seal?" Path Guardian Ancestor Qin Hao asked.

Director Su Yun pointed at the golden halo on the star map.

"Three days ago, the runes on the Seal suddenly dimmed over a large area."

The golden halo of Guardian Lin Jingyun also began to weaken.

According to the current speed, in three years at most, the Seal would completely shatter.

Path Guardian Ancestor Qin Hao was silent for a moment and asked again, "Is there any way to reinforce the Seal?"

Director Su Yun shook her head.

"The Investigation Department has checked all ancient books and consulted all Formation Masters, but has not found a method to reinforce the Seal."

This Seal was cast by Guardian Lin Jingyun using his body as a formation.

Unless there was an equally powerful force, it could not be reinforced.

Path Guardian Ancestor Qin Hao's heart sank.

Where could an equally powerful force be found?

Although the power of the Three Great Spirits was in his hands, it was dispersed; they were three talismans, not a single person.

He could not be like Guardian Lin Jingyun, using his body as a formation to suppress the Void Abyss forever.

Because he did not have the Origin of the Three Great Spirits; he was just an ordinary Cultivator, an ordinary Guardian.

He took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down.

"Continue to monitor; if there are any changes, report immediately."

Director Su Yun nodded solemnly.

Path Guardian Ancestor Qin Hao left the Investigation Department and went to the Guardian Academy.

On the Martial Arts Arena, young Disciples were practicing sword techniques.

Ten thousand years had passed, and the scale of the Guardian Academy was a hundred times larger than back then.

There were branch academies in various domains, and the total number of Disciples exceeded one million.

But no matter how large the scale, the tenets of the Guardian Academy had never changed.

Protect the Star Sea, protect the original aspiration.

Path Guardian Ancestor Qin Hao stood at the edge of the arena, looking at those young faces.

Among them were humans, the Yao Race, and alien races from new domains.

They wore uniform green robes, shouted uniform chants, and performed uniform movements.

In their eyes, there was full yearning for the future.

He remembered himself back then, equally young and full of hope.

At that time, his teacher told him that what mattered most to a Guardian was not power, talent, or intelligence, but the original aspiration.

He had always remembered these words, remembering them for a hundred years, for three hundred years.

Now, he wanted to tell these young people these words.

He walked onto the Martial Arts Arena, and the Disciples stopped their movements one after another, bowing and saluting.

"Patriarch!"

Path Guardian Ancestor Qin Hao raised his hand, signaling them to stand up.

"Do you know what is most important for a Guardian?"

The Disciples looked at each other in dismay, and no one could answer.

Path Guardian Ancestor Qin Hao smiled slightly, raised his hand, and a beam of spiritual light lit up in his palm.

That was the Power of Dao Protection, the power passed down by Patriarch Bai Yunzhou.

It was the original aspiration passed down from generation to generation by Guardians.

"It is not power, not talent, not intelligence."

It is the original aspiration.

It is the original aspiration to protect those who need protection.

He put away the spiritual light, his gaze sweeping across every young face.

"Ten thousand years ago, Guardian Lin Jingyun used his body as a formation to suppress the Void Abyss forever, protecting the peace of the Star Sea for ten thousand years."

Now, the Seal has loosened, and a new threat is about to arrive.

Are you willing to follow me to protect the Star Sea?

The Disciples responded in unison, their voices shaking the skies.

"Willing! Willing! Willing!"

Path Guardian Ancestor Qin Hao looked at them, his eyes filled with expectations.

These young people were the future of the Star Sea.

They would inherit his Legacy, inherit the Legacy of the Patriarch, and inherit the Legacy of all fallen heroes.

They would protect the Star Sea until eternity.

He turned around, walked out of the Guardian Academy, and walked toward the Monument of Heroes.

As the setting sun went down, the golden afterglow sprinkled on the monument, making those names shine brilliantly.

He stood in front of the monument, gazing at that Chaos-colored radiance and that faint golden halo, and said softly.

"Patriarch, Guardian, rest in peace."

The Star Sea, we will guard it.

The radiance gently fluttered, as if responding to him.

In the distance, the morning bell of the Guardian Academy rang once more, and a new day began.

Path Guardian Ancestor Qin Hao took a deep breath and turned to walk towards the Alliance Grand Hall.

There were still many things to do and many people to protect.

He could not stop.

Because he was the Guardian Patriarch; this was his mission and his glory.

The three-year period arrived as promised.

Early this morning, urgent intelligence came from the Investigation Department—the Seal had completely shattered.

When Path Guardian Ancestor Qin Hao received the intelligence, he was paying homage in front of the Monument of Heroes.

His hand paused slightly, then he put away the offerings and turned to walk towards the Alliance Grand Hall.

Inside the hall, representatives from various domains had already arrived.

Everyone's expression was extremely solemn, and a tense atmosphere permeated the air.

Path Guardian Ancestor Qin Hao stood at the main seat, his voice calm yet clearly spreading across the entire audience.

"The Seal has shattered."

The destructive power of the Void Abyss was overflowing.

The Investigation Department monitored that a large amount of grayish-black fog was gushing out from the abyss and spreading toward various domains of the Star Sea.

According to the current speed, it would reach the edge of the Star Sea in a month at the fastest.

The grand hall was silent.

Everyone stared at him, waiting for him to continue.

"I have already ordered the Realm Guardian Army to dispatch in full force to set up defenses at the edge of the Star Sea."

The defense formations of all domains were fully activated, and the common people were evacuated to underground shelters.

The Guardian Academy Disciples set out on expedition with the army, and the Investigation Department closely monitored the movements of the abyss.

He paused, his gaze becoming profound.

"There is one more matter."

In the Legacy left behind by Guardian Lin Jingyun, a possibility was mentioned.

If the Seal shattered, the Void Abyss could be re-sealed with the power of the Three Great Spirits.

However, the power of the Three Great Spirits was dispersed among three talismans.

These three talismans could only be activated simultaneously when the Star Sea faced a catastrophic disaster.

He looked at the three white-haired old men sitting in the front row.

The three Elders stood up simultaneously, presenting the three talismans with both hands.

Path Guardian Ancestor Qin Hao took the talismans and felt that majestic power.

The powers of the three Laws—Chaos, space-time, and Karma—intertwined and wrapped around each other in his palm, echoing one another.

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

"Pass down my order, the Realm Guardian Army shall set out on an expedition with me."

Target: The edge of the Star Sea, the Void Abyss.

Representatives from various domains responded in unison.

An hour later, one million Realm Guardian Army soldiers had finished assembling.

star skiffs densely covered the sky, blocking out the sun, sailing toward the direction of the edge of the Star Sea.

Path Guardian Ancestor Qin Hao stood on the foremost star skiff, gazing in that direction.

There, the grayish-black fog was churning like a giant dragon opening its huge mouth to devour everything.

He clenched the three talismans in his hand, and an unprecedented firmness surged in his heart.

No matter what was ahead, he would hold his ground.

Because he was the Guardian Patriarch; this was his mission and his glory.

Behind him, one million soldiers shouted in unison, their voices shaking the skies.

"Guard the Dao! Guard the Dao! Guard the Dao!"

The star skiffs advanced at full speed toward the edge of the Star Sea.

There was the direction of the Seal, the direction of the abyss, and the direction of protection.

Three days later, the army arrived at the edge of the Star Sea.

Looking from afar, the barrier that once sealed the abyss had completely disappeared.

Replaced by it was a patch of grayish-black fog.

In the fog, countless tiny spots of light could be faintly seen flickering.

Those were the star remains eroded by the destructive power.

Deep in the fog, low roars came from time to time, like a giant beast roaring.

Path Guardian Ancestor Qin Hao ordered the army to stop outside a safe distance, and alone took a small flying boat to approach the edge of the fog.

The fog was very thick, so thick that even Divine Sense could not penetrate it.

He could only rely on perception to investigate bit by bit.

In the fog, the concentration of destructive power was extremely high; if an ordinary Cultivator inhaled a breath, their Meridians would snap completely, and their cultivation would be completely ruined.

He circulated the Power of Dao Protection, forming a barrier on the surface of his body, barely isolating the erosion of the fog.

He investigated for a long time, so long that he forgot the time.

Finally, deep in the fog, he perceived a faint radiance.

That radiance was very faint, so faint it was almost imperceptible, yet it truly existed.

It was like a lonely star amidst the grayish-black, emitting a faint golden light.

The power of Guardian Lin Jingyun.

He sped up, flying toward that light.

The fog grew thicker and thicker, and the roars grew closer and closer.

Cracks began to appear on his barrier, and the Power of Dao Protection was rapidly consuming.

But he did not stop, because he knew that light was the only hope.

When he passed through the final layer of fog, the scene before him made him stop in his tracks.

That was a huge crack spanning across the Void Realm, ten thousand zhang long and a thousand zhang wide.

Deep inside the crack was endless darkness and the indistinct roars.

At the edge of the crack, countless grayish-black fogs were churning, spreading toward various domains of the Star Sea.

And at the very center of the crack, a figure sat cross-legged.

That figure was very faint, so faint it was almost transparent, but its outline was clearly visible.

White hair, green robes, eyes closed, with a calm expression.

In his hand, he held a green lotus jade talisman, a fragment of a battle blood spear, and a transparent crystal stone.

On his body, golden, silver, and cyan tricolor radiances circulated.

Guardian Lin Jingyun.

Path Guardian Ancestor Qin Hao's tears burst out of his eyes.

He knelt in the Void Realm, bowing deeply toward that figure.

"Guardian, your Disciple has come late."

That figure did not respond.

It still had its eyes closed, still sat cross-legged, and was still fast asleep.

But on its body, the tricolor radiances fluttered gently, as if responding to him.

Path Guardian Ancestor Qin Hao wiped away his tears, stood up, and held the three talismans high.

"Three Great Spirits, grant me power!"

Chaos, space-time, Karma, the three spirits merge into one, Myriad Techniques Return to One!

The three talismans lit up simultaneously, and golden, silver, and cyan tricolor radiances gushed out from the talismans, injecting into that figure.

The light grew brighter and brighter, increasingly blinding, illuminating the entire Void Realm.

That figure slowly opened its eyes.