National Guardian's Gone and We're Done

Fuyue Mountain was long since deeply integrated into the lifeblood of this nation,

becoming one of the most iconic symbols of the White-Red Empire’s spirit and culture.

To every person of the White-Red Empire, that mountain not only held the endless charm carved by nature’s divine craftsmanship.

It also possessed an innate, bone-deep sense of solemnity and sanctity.

The literary masters of the White-Red Empire saw Fuyue Mountain as a boundless wellspring of inspiration.

At the same time, it was also a sacred site, passed down through generations and piously worshipped by the people.

Fuyue Mountain was conical in shape, rising from the depths of the earth to pierce the sky with a cold, imposing majesty.

Its peak was covered in perennial snow, which shone with a blinding, dreamlike silver light whenever the sun broke through the clouds.

Five freshwater lakes were scattered gracefully around the mountain’s base.

On the way back to the summit of Fuyue Mountain from the construction site,

Amaterasu’s aura was quietly undergoing a transformation.

Her listless state, caused by her severe injuries,

was being nourished by the unfathomable, primordial cosmic power of the three Divine Artifacts,

and she was recovering at a speed visible to the naked eye.

A delicate balance was gradually being achieved within her body.

Thanks to this hard-won equilibrium,

Amaterasu’s power also began to recover, like the sun breaking through the clouds.

Although she hadn’t returned to her former peak, her strength had returned to its typical peak level.

When a brilliant golden light tore through the sky and descended directly upon the palace,

everyone inside knew in an instant—Amaterasu had returned.

Everyone fell to their knees in unison, their heads bowed low,

offering the most sincere prayers to the supreme deity in their hearts.

Amaterasu’s figure was graceful, her every movement poised.

She held her chin slightly raised, the proud arc of it like an impassable chasm forged by the rules of heaven and earth,

completely separating her from these common mortals.

She came from a higher-dimensional world. To her, these lowly lives were but a drop in the ocean, too insignificant to be worthy of mention.

Her eyes were filled with the pride and reserve befitting a deity,

a goddess looking down upon ants from on high.

She regarded everything around her with an innate, bone-deep sense of superiority,

as if all things in this world were her vassals, there to do her bidding.

As she walked past the kneeling mortals,

her gaze remained fixed forward.

They were unworthy of her notice, undeserving of even a fraction of her attention.

Then, Amaterasu led the others straight to a high, altar-like platform at the very back of the palace.

The platform exuded an ancient, weathered aura.

The dust of millennia had settled upon it.

Atop the platform, countless Chains were densely coiled like ferocious giant pythons that had escaped from the Nine Netherworld Hell, ready to single out a victim and devour them.

These Chains were all forged from a rare and special material,

and they glinted with a strange, mysterious luster under the faint, intermittent light of the palace.

At the end of the Chains was a coffin.

The coffin was a simple, heavy-looking bronze color.

It radiated an aura of deep and distant history.

But from within this coffin, a faint aura emanated—one so oppressive it felt like a boulder was pressing on one’s chest, making it hard to breathe.

Clearly, this was no ordinary object.

"You said before that the Deities are constrained by the rules of this world and cannot descend directly. What exactly did you mean?"

Chu He’s gaze shot toward the mysterious Bronze Coffin before him,

but his mind was on another, more critical question that troubled him.

’The secret behind this could be like the butterfly effect—the gentle flap of a wing could trigger a storm that changes the course of the entire situation, even deciding life and death for everyone. One wrong step, and we’ll be doomed beyond redemption.’

Amaterasu raised her head slightly, her expression a mix of resignation and resolve.

It had come to this. Continuing to hide things was just self-deception; it was meaningless.

After all, she had now taken a firm stand against many of the other Deities,

becoming a target for all, surrounded by a pack of wolves.

She thought back to the past. She had endured countless hardships and poured her very soul into cultivating her Divine Format,

not so she could just surrender meekly at a time like this and accept punishment,

only to then watch helplessly in endless agony as the years washed away like a relentless current, eroding her last shred of hope.

With her thoughts clear, Amaterasu spoke slowly. "Back then, the first batch of beings to become gods couldn’t wait to establish the Celestial Palace after they achieved success and fame.

Like a band of insatiable thieves, they scoured the mortal realm for its most luxurious treasures, plundering it almost completely clean before hauling everything up to the Celestial Palace.

From then on, they’ve lived in that Celestial Palace above the clouds, lost in endless splendor, indulging in a life of luxury and pleasure."

As she spoke, a trace of pity flashed in Amaterasu’s eyes.

She paused, then continued, "But their actions brought a cataclysmic disaster upon the Human Race, who had been living happily and peacefully.

The mortal world became filled with oppression and suffering, falling from Heaven into Hell.

And do you know why?

It’s because all those extravagant things in the Celestial Palace are consumables. The more they’re used, the less there is.

Sooner or later, they’re bound to run out.

And when they’re all used up, what are they supposed to do?

Hmph. Those Deities would never deign to create anything themselves."