583: Chapter 583 Sacrificing Oneself to Become a Mountain - Three Souls Return to the Ruins

Ranglong gritted his teeth and slammed his arms downward. A new wall surged up, separating Instructor Yi Hengxi and Instructor Tian Jingsha from the others, forming a massive earthen barrier that kept the pursuers firmly blocked on the other side.

"Ranglong—what are you doing?!" Instructor Yi Hengxi's pupils constricted, and he cried out in shock.

"Go! Leave now!" His roar was hoarse, the earthen wall trembling incessantly beneath his palms. "From the day I wore the Guardian mark, I knew this day would come. Why do Guardians exist? To protect. Now is the time to protect—go!!"

He cast one last glance at the surrounding mountain shadows, then let out a low chuckle, his voice as soft as a sigh. "Never left the mountains my whole life... that's fine, that's fine. Then... I'll just stay here."

"Earth Kun: Gather Earth to Form a Mountain!"

The earth rumbled, soil churning like waves, rocks galloping like horses, all converging toward him. In that moment, he felt as if he could hear the pulse of the soil again and touch the warmth of the mountain's bones—his heart became strangely calm. Perhaps this was his fated destination.

"What the hell is this?!" The three Ghost Claws had just smashed through a few crumbling walls when they slammed headlong into this overwhelming mountain force, stunned for a moment.

"You—don't even think about getting past!!" Hahahaha...

Before the laughter faded, mud and stone poured down like an angry tide, carrying resolve as it crashed down upon the three of them.

In an instant, a lone peak rose from the ground, standing silently at the edge of the horizon as Instructor Yi Hengxi and the others looked back. The mountain was rugged, its veins like sinews, as if it were still breathing. It said nothing, yet with its entire body, it blocked all the blades and killing intent for them.

"Go." Instructor Tian Jingsha lowered his eyes for a moment, his voice low but clear. "This is not the time for grief. The word 'Guardian' is heavier than mountains—Ranglong taught us our final lesson with his life." He turned and walked steadily back the way they came. Instructor Yi Hengxi and the others followed in silence; no one looked back, yet none could wipe the bloodshot redness from their eyes.

Until they reunited with Youbudong and the others, everyone's throats were choked with emotion, unable to utter a single word.

"Instructor Yi Hengxi! Zhanchi! Qianjun! Chen Yue!... Where is Instructor Ranglong?" Youbudong looked around, unable to see his mentor, his voice suddenly trembling.

Instructor Yi Hengxi slowly raised his hand, pointing to the newly risen mountain in the distance: "... That is Ranglong."

The three looked where he pointed, their bodies stiffening as if struck by lightning. The mountain shadow stood tall, silent and wordless. Their teacher was gone, forever remaining in that soil, that wind, and that laughter. Their knees went weak, and they all knelt down together, tears crashing into the dust, surging silently.

Instructor Yi Hengxi closed his eyes and stood quietly. They had to bring back the respite that Ranglong had bought with his life.

"Let's go back." Instructor Tian Jingsha finally spoke, his tone calm but carrying an indisputable weight. "The grudge will not be forgotten in vain. We should not stay here long; everything else can wait until we return."

"Big Brother, look at me! I'm really strong now—I can lift a fifty-jin stone with one hand!"

After hearing Ai Luo's words, Jiang Chen lifted his eyelids, the corners of his mouth twitching slightly, his tone lazy. "The little guy I trained in my early years could lift a several-hundred-jin stone lock with one hand like it was a toy. This bit of weight deserves to be called 'amazing'? Keep practicing—if you don't finish, you'll have a hard time."

Ai Luo's face stiffened instantly, his limbs heavy, his fingertips numb, inwardly sighing that this person treated torture as a daily routine. But no matter how hard it was, he had to grit his teeth and endure; he couldn't slack off. It wasn't to please anyone, but because of "him," whom he had never met—Qi Lei and Qi Jie had mentioned him so many times, that person was the true benchmark. He couldn't lose to anyone, especially not him. Ai Luo gritted his teeth, his back pulled straight, crushing the thought of retreating in his throat.

How could Jiang Chen not understand what kind of fire was burning in this child's heart? That was precisely why he chose this tactic—it worked every time. The more Ai Luo pushed himself, the stronger his muscles and bones became, and the firmer his will. Jiang Chen nodded inwardly, feeling slightly relieved. But as the days drew closer, and calculating that they had been suffering here for years, he feared that things on the Earth Star were already in turmoil... His heart felt heavy, yet he didn't show a word of it.

"Practice well. When you finish your training, Big Brother will never force you again." He paused, his gaze calm. "There are far more things hidden in this world than you think. Some things don't even leave a name behind; if you run into them, you'll be obliterated. Are you willing to die so wretchedly? If you really don't want to practice, you can leave now. The path has always been yours to choose."

"No!" Ai Luo blurted out, his voice bright and urgent, as if afraid the promise would be retracted if he were a beat too slow. "Big Brother, Ai Luo can definitely do it! I will definitely succeed!" Before the words even faded, he clenched his fists, steadied his breathing, planted his stance again, and straightened his spine even more.

Jiang Chen didn't speak again, just gazed quietly at the horizon. The wind swept over the mountain ridge; his brows remained unmoved, but he knew clearly in his heart: it was time to close the net. It could not be delayed any longer.

Sure enough, when Commander Pozhen learned that Lord Jiaye had set his sights on the Abyss of Wuji, he immediately mobilized troops, determined to get there first. As long as the Seal remained unstable, the world would remain on the edge of a blade.

Zhanchi had just returned to Jiugong Ridge when he was summoned for questioning. But he himself couldn't explain who Jiang Chen was, only remembering that he had been personally trained by that person for three years. Just looking at his current physique—broad shoulders, narrow waist, and muscles like iron—others knew it couldn't have been forged by ordinary training.

"Put this matter aside for now. The urgent task is to find the Abyss of Wuji before Lord Jiaye does."

"Yes, Commander!" Instructor Tian Jingsha and the others responded in unison. The Abyss of Wuji was too mysterious; even in the classics left behind by ancient Guardians, not a single word of record could be found, leaving no path to track it.

"Do not panic." Commander Pozhen raised his hand to signal. "Fuqiu has already gone ahead to scout the path; there should be a response by now. Depart immediately and act according to the beacon." — It turned out the trap had been set long ago, with even the final step calculated clearly.

Everyone had no objections; they accepted the order and turned, their figures quickly disappearing into the end of the mountain path.

The first stop was Taoyuan Town. Zhanchi's hometown was also the starting point of the clues. The news from Fuqiu was clear: to locate the ancient battlefield, one must find the Compass and the Sinan—those were the only two old objects that could clear away the fog.

"Let's go, today we head to the last wasteland." Jiang Chen stood up and brushed the dust off his hem. "Last time we dealt with the Human Soul, and before that was the Earth Soul; now only the Heaven Soul remains. Once the three souls are scattered, the roots are completely severed. Want to gather them again? I'm afraid you'd have to wait until the seas change into mulberry fields."

"Yes, Big Brother, I'm ready." Ai Luo answered crisply. After a few life-and-death battles, his eyes had changed—no longer dodging or fearful, he recognized only one thing: fear is useless, only strength leads to a path.

"Good." Jiang Chen nodded. "The morale is up. Let's go and see just how tough this 'Heaven Soul' really is. It had better not show its face—if it dares to come out, this place will be its burial ground."

Crossing three steep cliffs, an endless sea of sand suddenly spread out before them. Yellow sand rolled with black Qi, and the wind carried a bone-chilling cold.

"This is the place." Jiang Chen narrowed his eyes and scanned. "The Yin Qi is so thick it cannot be dissolved, heavier than the previous two places combined. Not simple. Let's go and meet it. Don't let us make this trip for nothing—if it really appears, today will be the time of its death."

Ai Luo nodded silently, saying nothing more. He knew clearly what needed to be done, his feet moving without pause as he headed straight for the edge of the sandy wilderness.

The array diagram spread out from his fingertips, inch by inch, covering the depths. Now, the Origin Qi he channeled was several times thicker than before, and the world seemed to recognize his resilience, quietly supporting him—the wind helped him stabilize his breath, the sand followed his direction, and even his muscles and bones were being silently tempered, all to make his Qi control steadier, his array formation faster, and his strokes more accurate.

Time flowed slowly, finally arriving at the moment to reach the core. Sure enough, as expected, the Heaven Soul could not withstand the erosive power of Ai Luo's array diagram—a vigorous life force surged out from the depths of the earth's veins, cleansing the boundless resentment and quietly reshaping the mountains and rivers.

"You finally showed yourself, couldn't hide anymore, could you? Don't be afraid, I will 'use' you well." Jiang Chen gripped the Heaven Soul that was about to pounce on Ai Luo with one hand, his five fingers like iron, unmoving. "How many people have you harmed over these years? Today, I will officially bring you back to your place to make up for the debts owed to this world."

"Save your energy. Your two brothers have long been waiting for you to reunite—there, see?" He opened his palm, where two beads with floating, ghostly light lay quietly: the Human Soul and the Earth Soul. Upon seeing them, the Heaven Soul's light suddenly dimmed, and its intent to struggle collapsed instantly.

"Understand now? Your death date is set; you might as well go with the flow and do something useful."

Before the words faded, he twisted and rubbed his fingertips, and the Heaven Soul shrank into a pitch-black bead, standing side-by-side with the other two—the three souls are complete. The seven spirits? Nothing but embers; it didn't matter whether they existed or not.

He suddenly flicked his sleeves, and three streaks of ink-colored, powerful wind broke through the air, fiercely striking the three beads. The beads immediately softened, rotated, and merged, looking as if they were about to condense into a giant bead—but Jiang Chen dropped his shoulder, shook, and brought his palm down! In an instant, the black bead shattered, turning into countless streams of light, raining down upon the corners of the planet that were in urgent need of healing.

Ai Luo stood stunned in place, not understanding the meaning: after going to such lengths to gather the three souls, why scatter them all?

"Ai Ai, these three souls carry heavy sinful debts, but there are too many people in the world to save, and I can't attend to them all. I can only loosen their muscles and correct their roots first." Jiang Chen's voice was gentle but deep. "In the end, the root lies in the human heart. If the human heart is scattered, no matter how great the magic power, it is in vain. In the future, you must always watch over your own heart and don't let dark thoughts take advantage, understand?"

"Yes! Big Brother, I will remember!" Ai Luo nodded vigorously, his little face tense with seriousness.

"Good child. The main task is finished; the remaining work must be done by yourself, hammer and nail. Big Brother must also be on his way—don't be sad, joys and sorrows are partings and reunions, which are the norm, and gatherings and partings have their own destiny. As long as the power in your hands can add a bit of warmth to living beings, that is the best thanks you can give me. Keep it up, Big Brother believes in you."

Ai Luo looked up, his throat slightly choked. It turned out that the thing he never dared to think about, when it really came before his eyes, made him feel empty in his chest—he was going to be alone again, it was so quiet.

"What's quiet about it? You still have Qi Lei and Qi Jie with you. Three people traveling together is better than a lonely shadow. Keep the things I taught you well; if you dare to bully others or act recklessly..." His tone suddenly deepened, "Even across a thousand worlds and ten thousand domains, I will definitely find you and hold you accountable, do you hear me?"

"I hear you! Don't worry, Big Brother, Ai Luo will never go down the wrong path!"

"That's right. We've walked such a long way, it's time to part. Don't be reluctant; perhaps one day when the clouds clear and the mist disperses, we can meet again." He raised his hand and gently rubbed the top of Ai Luo's head, as if rubbing away a cluster of mist about to dissipate.

Ai Luo lowered his eyes and took a deep breath. The concentration honed over these days was not fake.

"Good, let's part here. The time has come; if the Opportunity arrives, we will naturally meet again—practice diligently without ceasing." He didn't want to say more, afraid his eyes would get hot. Just at this moment, in the distant sky, black clouds surged, cold winds rolled back, and sinister Qi surged like a tide—this was the moment! He patted Ai Luo's head one last time, tapped his toes, and his figure had already stepped into the Void Realm and left.

"Big Brother—when can we see each other again?!" Ai Luo chased after him for a few steps, shouting at the top of his lungs.

"Ai Ai, practice your techniques hard. This planet is but a speck of dust. Your path lies within the boundless Great Wilderness universe. If you have the Opportunity to set foot on the Great Wilderness—that is where Big Brother will be waiting for you. Go, run toward the Great Wilderness with all your might!"

"Big Brother! I will definitely go! I will risk my life to get there!" Ai Luo clenched his fists, his voice clear and bright.

"Hahaha—I will wait! Waiting for you to break through the Void Realm and come! Hahaha..."

Ai Luo stood in place until the sound of the wind swallowed the last trace of the echo. He looked down at his hands, his palms seemingly still retaining the warmth of that gentle pat. He had a goal: the Great Wilderness. That was where Big Brother was, where the light was, and where the distance awaited his arrival—

He would definitely arrive.

Definitely.