223: Chapter 223 Shen Zhao's Choice

On the third day after Shen Zhao returned to Yongning City from the edge of the sea of stars, he locked himself in the small courtyard beside the Monument of Heroes and did not come out for three full days.

Shen Yuan went to deliver food every day; the meals were left at the door and taken back untouched.

Director Su Yun had also come a few times, standing outside the courtyard and listening to the movements inside, but she could hear nothing.

The Disciples of the Guardian Academy gathered outside the courtyard, daring neither to approach nor to leave.

They knew that the Patriarch was making a very important decision.

Early in the morning of the fourth day, the door of the small courtyard finally opened.

Shen Zhao walked out, with a pale complexion and bloodshot eyes.

But his gaze was even firmer than three days ago, as if he had figured something out.

Shen Yuan stood outside the courtyard, looking at him without speaking.

Director Su Yun also stood aside, holding the monitoring data of the Investigation Department in her hands, her hands trembling slightly.

Shen Zhao walked up to his uncle and bowed deeply.

"Uncle, this Disciple has thought it through."

Shen Yuan looked into his eyes and was silent for a moment.

"You've decided?"

"Decided."

"No regrets?"

"No regrets."

Shen Yuan nodded and asked no more.

Director Su Yun stepped forward and handed over the Jade Slip in her hand.

"Shen Zhao, there are new changes in the direction of the gate. There are three more cracks on the Seal, and... that hand has appeared again."

Shen Zhao took the Jade Slip, and his Divine Thought probed into it.

In the image, the cracks on the Seal were dense like a spiderweb.

Within the cracks, that grayish-white hand was reaching outward, even more frantically than last time.

The fingers grabbed wildly in the Void Realm, and the nails scratched across the Seal, making a harsh friction sound.

Shen Zhao put away the Jade Slip, his expression as calm as water.

"This Disciple understands."

Director Su Yun looked at him, stopping herself from speaking.

Shen Zhao turned around and walked towards the Monument of Heroes.

He knelt in front of the monument and bowed deeply to those names.

"Seniors, this Disciple has made a decision."

"This Disciple is going to guard the gate for the Spirit of the Gate for one year."

"One year later, the Spirit of the Gate will release this Disciple's parents."

"This Disciple knows this might be a trap, but this Disciple must go."

"Because this Disciple cannot watch his parents remain trapped forever."

The seven-colored light at the top of the monument flickered gently, as if responding to him.

Shen Zhao got up and turned to look at Shen Yuan.

"Uncle, after this Disciple leaves, the sea of stars is entrusted to you."

Shen Yuan's eye sockets turned red, but he did not cry.

"One year later, if you cannot return, Uncle will come to fetch you."

Shen Zhao shook his head.

"Uncle, you cannot go. Only the Chosen One can enter the gate."

"If you go, you will only be trapped."

Shen Yuan's hand was trembling slightly.

"Then Uncle should just watch you go courting death alone?"

Shen Zhao walked up to his uncle and held his hand.

"Uncle, this Disciple is not going to court death. This Disciple is going to save people."

"One year later, this Disciple will return. This Disciple promises you."

Shen Yuan looked at him and remained silent for a long time.

Then he nodded.

"Alright, Uncle will wait for you."

Director Su Yun stepped forward and shoved a specially-made communication talisman into Shen Zhao's hand.

"This is a communication talisman newly refined by the Investigation Department, which can pierce through the Seal."

"If you are in danger, communicate immediately. The Investigation Department will find a way to save you."

Shen Zhao took the communication talisman and put it into his bosom.

"Many thanks, Director Su."

Director Su Yun shook her head, her eye sockets red.

"Return alive. This is an order."

Shen Zhao nodded and turned to walk towards the Star Port.

The Disciples of the Guardian Academy spontaneously followed behind, with no one speaking, only the sound of footsteps.

Shen Zhao walked to the Star Port, stopped, and looked back at those young faces.

"After this Disciple leaves, all of you must Cultivate well."

"The Guardian Academy is entrusted to you, and the sea of stars is entrusted to you."

The Disciples knelt down in unison and bowed deeply to Shen Zhao.

"Patriarch, the Disciples await your return."

Shen Zhao's eye sockets turned red, but he did not cry.

He turned around and boarded the spacetime flying boat.

The cabin door closed, and seven-colored light flowed around the hull.

The flying boat slowly rose into the air, getting higher and farther away.

Shen Zhao stood in front of the porthole, looking down at the shrinking Yongning City below.

Those familiar buildings, those familiar streets and alleys, those familiar faces.

Were all fading away from him.

He took a deep breath and turned to walk towards the console.

On the crystal core, those spacetime runes were slowly flowing.

He raised his hand and gently touched it.

"spacetime flying boat, target: the edge of the sea of stars, the direction of the gate."

The crystal core lit up, and the flying boat accelerated, speeding towards the edge of the sea of stars.

Shen Zhao stood in front of the porthole, gazing at the sea of stars ahead.

Seven-colored light flowed around the hull, with a speed reaching the ultimate.

In less than two hours, the flying boat arrived at the edge of the sea of stars.

Looking from afar, that gate still stood tall in the Void Realm.

The runes on the gate were slowly flowing, and the cracks were even more numerous than before.

Within the cracks, that grayish-white hand was reaching outward, frantically grabbing the Void Realm.

Shen Zhao walked out of the cabin door and floated in the Void Realm.

Seven-colored light flowed within his body, resisting the coercion of the gate.

He walked up to the gate and raised his hand to touch it gently.

The voice of the Spirit of the Gate sounded in his mind.

"Latecomer, have you thought it through?"

Shen Zhao nodded.

"Thought it through. This Disciple will guard the gate for you for one year. One year later, you will release this Disciple's parents."

The Spirit of the Gate was silent for a moment.

"Very well. This seat promises you."

The runes on the gate suddenly lit up, and seven-colored light surged out from the runes.

Condensed into a light gate in front of Shen Zhao.

"Come in."

Shen Zhao took a deep breath and stepped into the light gate.

The world behind the light gate was a hazy gray space.

Countless light spots floated in the space, and every single light spot was a segment of memory.

There were the birth and destruction of stars, the rise and fall of civilizations, and the laughter and tears of living beings.

Shen Zhao floated in the space and looked around.

This was the world of the Spirit of the Gate, the place where it had been trapped for hundreds of millions of years.

A figure slowly condensed in front of him.

That was an old man with white hair and beard, and a hunched figure.

He wore a grayish-white robe and held a wooden staff in his hand.

Embedded at the top of the wooden staff was a grayish-white spar.

The old man's eyes were grayish-white, without pupils, yet they seemed capable of seeing through everything.

"This seat can finally go out and walk around." The old man's voice was hoarse, carrying a trace of expectation.

Shen Zhao looked at him, a complex emotion surging in his heart.

This old man had been trapped for hundreds of millions of years.

It was tired and wanted to leave.

It was not wrong; it was simply too tired.

"Senior, where is the Origin of this Disciple's parents?"

The old man raised his hand and pointed to the depths of the space.

There, two light spots were floating.

One white, one cyan.

The two light spots slowly rotated, emitting a faint glow.

"That is the Origin of your parents."

"One year later, when this seat returns, I will release them."

Shen Zhao looked at those two light spots, tears streaming out of his eyes.

His parents were right there.

Close at hand, yet unable to be touched.

"Senior, can this Disciple approach them?"

The old man shook his head.

"No. You are now the Spirit of the Gate; your duty is to guard the gate, not to save people."

"If you approach them, the Seal will collapse, and they will be devoured by the Void Realm."

Shen Zhao clenched his fists, his knuckles turning white.

"This Disciple understands."

The old man looked at him, a trace of compassion flashing in his eyes.

"Latecomer, this seat knows you are unreconciled."

"But this is the only way."

"One year later, when this seat returns, your parents can be liberated."

Shen Zhao nodded and said nothing more.

The old man's figure began to fade, starting from his feet, turning into light spots bit by bit.

"This seat is leaving. See you in a year."

As the voice fell, the old man's figure completely dissipated.

Shen Zhao stood alone in the hazy gray space, gazing at those two light spots.

His parents were right there.

He took a deep breath and sat cross-legged.

Seven-colored light surged out from his body, merging into one with the runes on the gate.

He perceived every single rune of the gate, perceiving every single pulsation of the Seal.

Perceived every trace of fluctuation at the edge of the sea of stars.

He had become the Spirit of the Gate.

Even though it was only for a year.

But he had to guard this gate and guard the Seal.

Not allowing the owner of that hand to break out of the Seal.

Not allowing the sea of stars to be threatened.

Time passed day by day.

Shen Zhao kept watch within the gate, day after day, night after night.

He perceived the changes in the Seal, perceiving every impact of that hand.

The owner of that hand grew increasingly frantic, striking the Seal dozens of times every day.

With every impact, new cracks would appear on the Seal.

Shen Zhao used his seven-colored power to repair the cracks, once, twice, countless times.

His power was rapidly depleting, and his complexion grew increasingly pale.

But he did not stop, because he knew.

If he stopped, the Seal would break.

The owner of that hand would come out.

The sea of stars would face a catastrophic disaster.

On this day, a new crack appeared on the Seal again.

Within the crack, that grayish-white hand abruptly reached out and grabbed at Shen Zhao.

Shen Zhao sidestepped to dodge, the qinglian sword unholstered, and a seven-colored sword Qi slashed out.

The sword Qi chopped onto that hand, sparking dazzling sparks.

A cut was slashed open on the hand, and grayish-white blood gushed out.

But the hand did not retreat, instead grabbing at him even more frantically.

Shen Zhao retreated again and again, the qinglian sword continuously slashing out.

The sword Qi collided with the sharp claws, sparking countless sparks.

He gradually fell into a disadvantage, because the power of that hand was too strong.

So strong that even his seven-colored power found it difficult to suppress.

Just as he was about to fail to hold on, the runes on the gate suddenly lit up.

Seven-colored light surged out from the runes, transforming into a huge pillar of light that blasted onto that hand.

The hand let out a shrill screech and shrank back into the crack.

The crack slowly closed, and the Seal returned to its original state.

Shen Zhao slumped into the Void Realm, panting heavily.

The qinglian sword dropped beside him, the light on the sword body dimming a lot.

He struggled to climb up and picked up the qinglian sword.

His hands were trembling, and his legs were also trembling.

But he did not fall.

Because he could not fall.

He had promised Uncle to return alive.

He had promised Director Su to return alive.

He had promised the Disciples of the Guardian Academy to return alive.

He wiped away the blood from the corner of his mouth and continued to repair the Seal.

Seven-colored power surged out from his body, pouring into those cracks.

The cracks slowly healed, and the Seal became increasingly stable.

Shen Zhao's power grew weaker and weaker, and his complexion grew increasingly pale.

But his gaze grew increasingly firm.

Because he knew he was doing a very important thing.

He was guarding the sea of stars.

He was guarding everyone.

On this day, the communication talisman lit up.

Director Su Yun's voice came over, carrying a trace of trembling.

"Shen Zhao, are you alright?"

Shen Zhao leaned against the door pillar and smiled weakly.

"This Disciple is fine. Director Su, how is the sea of stars?"

Director Su Yun was silent for a moment.

"Everything is normal. More than half of the teleportation arrays in various domains have been built, and your uncle stares at the construction site every day."

"The Disciples of the Guardian Academy are also very hardworking, Cultivating every day."

"Everyone is waiting for you to return."

Shen Zhao's eye sockets turned red.

"This Disciple will return."

Director Su Yun's voice carried a trace of choking up.

"Alright, we'll wait for you."

The communication talisman dimmed.

Shen Zhao put it back into his bosom, stood up, and continued to repair the Seal.

Time passed day by day.

One month, two months, three months.

The owner of that hand no longer struck the Seal.

It seemed to be accumulating power, preparing for the final blow.

Shen Zhao knew that final blow would be the most violent.

He must recover enough power before then.

He sat cross-legged, and seven-colored power slowly flowed within his body.

He closed his eyes, perceiving every trace of energy within the gate.

Those light spots, those memories, those scattered fragments of power.

He absorbed them bit by bit, transforming the energy within the gate into his own power.

His cultivation was slowly recovering, and his complexion gradually became rosy.

In the eleventh month, the owner of that hand finally launched the final blow.

Countless cracks appeared on the Seal, and within the cracks, countless hands stretched out simultaneously.

Grayish-white hands, densely packed, surged over like a tide.

Shen Zhao opened his eyes and gripped the qinglian sword tightly.

Seven-colored power poured into the sword body, and the sword body emitted a dazzling sword hum.

"Chaos, spacetime, Karma, Primordial Origin, Life, Guardian, Ending—Seven Powers Combined into One!"

With a single sword slash, the seven-colored sword Qi transformed into a ten-thousand-zhang giant dragon, charging straight at those hands.

The giant dragon opened its huge mouth, devouring those hands one by one.

Grayish-white blood gushed out, staining the Void Realm red.

The screeches of the hands rose one after another, shrill and despairing.

But there were too many hands; they were endless to kill.

Shen Zhao's power was rapidly depleting, and his complexion grew increasingly pale.

But he did not stop, because he knew.

This was the final battle.

If they won, the Seal could hold on for another fifty years.

If they lost, the sea of stars would face a catastrophic disaster.

He gritted his teeth and burned his own Origin.

The seven-colored power surged violently, transforming into a huge curtain of light that completely enveloped those hands.

Within the curtain of light, those hands began to disintegrate, turning into grayish-white light spots that dissipated.

The screeches of the hands grew weaker and weaker, getting farther and farther away.

Ultimately, they completely vanished.

The cracks on the Seal slowly closed, returning to their original state.

Shen Zhao slumped into the Void Realm, panting heavily.

The qinglian sword dropped beside him, its sword body dim and devoid of light.

His power was completely exhausted, and he didn't even have the strength to raise his hand.

But he smiled, smiling with matchless relief.

He had done it.

He had guarded the Seal.

He had guarded the sea of stars.

The communication talisman lit up, and Director Su Yun's voice came over.

"Shen Zhao, it's been a year. You should come back."

Shen Zhao struggled to climb up and picked up the qinglian sword.

"This Disciple understands."