National Guardian's Gone and We're Done

’I’ve actually become the most unyielding person of all?’

Xiao Cangqing gave a miserable smile, feeling like he wanted to cry but couldn’t shed a tear.

"You have to understand, the Great Jing Empire used to be the most stable and peaceful nation on this planet.

Even if things have gone a little wrong and there’s been huge turmoil, so what?

Why should we let other empires come to our own territory and show off their might?

They’re even building a so-called Martial Artist Base with great fanfare, clearly treating Fujiang City as their own territory!

However, your lightning-fast methods made you the first person and power on all of Blue Star to deal the Lighthouse Empire a setback.

Not just within the Great Jing Empire, but even on international platforms, countless people are singing your praises.

Your recent actions wiped out the Emperor Realm and King’s Realm experts the Lighthouse Empire had painstakingly cultivated. It was an absolutely thunderous move.

Right now, the Lighthouse Empire’s Martial Artist Base can barely fend for itself, and they haven’t attacked Green Forest City at all lately."

Gao Yimin sat down in the chair across from him. No one wants to be driven from their home, let alone be branded a traitor.

For Gao Yimin, this shift in public opinion was truly a joyous occasion.

"What else are the people on the internet saying?"

Xiao Cangqing’s expression was numb.

"They’re saying they misunderstood you before, that they were misled by the news Ji Shengyue spread. That’s why they used to curse you out online.

They think you only became a traitor because you must have known about all of Ji Shengyue’s bizarre maneuvers long ago,

and that you only made your choice after becoming thoroughly disillusioned.

But your actions now have shown everyone in the Great Jing Empire that you only betrayed Ji Shengyue,

not the Great Jing Empire, and not the people you were sworn to protect.

Many people and Martial Artists in the Great Jing Empire are even leaving messages online saying they want to follow in your footsteps."

Gao Yimin swiped her finger across her phone screen a few more times, pulling up some of the most-liked comments.

Xiao Cangqing glanced at them and saw that Gao Yimin wasn’t lying.

But for Xiao Cangqing, this was not something to be happy about.

The more the online sentiment favored him, the harder it would be to erase the marks left on him.

Forget the masses online; even Gao Yimin right in front of him

would never believe that he wasn’t the one responsible for all the actions she had just described.

"It’s all well and good to be happy, but we’ve provoked the Lighthouse Empire."

Seeing the numb look on Xiao Cangqing’s face, Gao Yimin’s smile faded a little. She said, "The Lighthouse Empire has been quiet for a while. I have a feeling they’re planning something big.

I’ve had our people maintain twenty-four-hour patrols these past few days,

and I’ve also sent out numerous scouts to prevent any of the Lighthouse Empire’s masters from sneaking in."

"You’ve done well.

Send the scouts out even further. Make absolutely sure the communication equipment is working perfectly.

If there’s any sign of trouble, no matter how small, we must both be notified immediately.

We’re really going to have to fight for our lives now.

By the way, didn’t you say there were people and Martial Artists online who want to follow me?

Then let’s just broadcast our location. The Lighthouse Empire and the Great Jing Empire must already know exactly where we are anyway.

A few more people knowing won’t make a difference.

Tell all those people and Martial Artists who are willing to come to hurry up and get here."

Xiao Cangqing’s eyes darted around as he said, "The more the merrier. They can serve as cannon fodder.

Besides, these fair-weather followers deserve to die anyway.

If we do run into a massive, unstoppable enemy attack, even slaughtering pigs takes time."

"I was thinking the same thing," Gao Yimin agreed.

’The Lighthouse Empire’s big move is probably coming soon,’ Xiao Cangqing sighed to himself.

’Chu He, the one pulling all the strings, has one true purpose: to turn me into a puppet,

a puppet to recklessly test the Lighthouse Empire’s limits and force their hidden powers out into the open.’

’No matter who wins or loses this contest, for me, it’s a catastrophe.’

At this thought, Xiao Cangqing raised his hand and slapped himself hard across the face.

’I had it all. The title of National Guardian War God, a halo of honor...’

’So why did I have to go and provoke Chu He?’

’If time could turn back, if I could do it all over again, I would never go looking for trouble.’

’I’d run and hide the second I saw Chu He.’

’But it was too late.’

...

「On the Black Continent Grassland.」

The once-withered White Bone Grass, now infused with some kind of indescribable Magic Power, began to tremble slightly.

These withered, twisted white plants writhed on the ground like the convulsing arms of zombies.

A cold wind swept through. The dewdrops clinging to the tips of the grass glinted with a sinister light, a harbinger of the misfortune to come.

Suddenly, a piercing, tearing sound erupted from the ground,

followed by a volley of ice-white Bone Spikes bursting from the soil.

The Bone Spikes were long and sharp, like a viper’s fangs, and reflected a cold, grim light.

The Martial Artists cried out in alarm and scattered, but their reactions were nowhere near fast enough to escape the sudden assault.

The unlucky Martial Artists who were hit were instantly pierced through. Blood erupted from their bodies like fountains,

staining the surrounding soil a shocking, gruesome crimson.

The air filled with the stench of blood and fear.

"Let’s go. Whatever’s under this canyon is about to come out."

Chu He had come here mainly to complete a system mission.

But so far, the system hadn’t indicated that the mission was complete.

’Perhaps I still haven’t uncovered the true secret of the Black Continent Grassland.’

Thus, Chu He didn’t plan to linger in the canyon.

Shang Yifei naturally supported any decision Chu He made.

She immediately followed Chu He, heading out of the canyon.

Qu Chengping and Yu Qianqian gave a reluctant glance at the ground covered in White Bone Grass.

But to save their own skins, they and their security team followed close behind, ready to flee.

Before the group could make it out of the treacherous canyon, disaster struck.

At the canyon’s edge, the soil began to roil as a tremendous force stirred beneath the ground.

Then, enormous Bone Spikes erupted from the earth.

Straight and sharp, they rapidly formed towering, pale white walls dozens of meters high.

These walls of bone radiated a cold, bizarre aura.

They didn’t just surround the canyon; they cast a heavy shadow that made the already dim gorge even more oppressive.

Beneath the shadows, the plants seemed to lose their vitality, and the very air felt as if it had frozen solid.

"A mere few dozen meters high. What can it do to me?"

A King’s Realm expert looked down on the bone wall before him. He stood tall, his aura magnificent.

He stomped on the ground and leaped violently into the air, like an eagle spreading its wings,

soaring to a height of nearly a hundred meters.

A haughty smile spread across his face, his eyes glinting with confidence.

With his power, a bone wall of a mere few dozen meters was nothing;

even a real mountain would struggle to bar his path.

As long as he wanted to leave, no one could stop him unless an Emperor Realm expert appeared in person.

Just as he was about to fly over the wall of bone, the unexpected happened.

From one of the bone walls, a single Bone Spike shot out without warning.

It moved so fast,

it seemed to transcend the limits of time, instantly piercing through the King’s Realm expert’s head.

The smile froze on his face, his eyes filled with terror and disbelief.

His body swayed limply in the air, his head pinned firmly to the bone wall by the spike.

His arms dangled uselessly. The whole scene was as bizarre and horrifying as a doll hung on a wall.

The scene unfolded in an instant, but it was enough to fill every Martial Artist present with shock and terror.

The Martial Artists who had been about to follow the King’s Realm expert’s example hastily stopped in their tracks.

Gazing at the corpse suspended in mid-air, an indescribable chill rose in their hearts.

"We... we can’t get out, can we?"

Qu Chengping asked, his teeth chattering, his voice cracking with despair.

[Fourth update of the day! This bonus Chapter is sponsored by a 10,000 Book Coin donation from the amazing Jiu An 04!!! Thank you for your continued support, boss! I’ll do my best to keep the updates coming without sacrificing quality! Thanks again!!]