chsdbacks Chapter 253 Finding Chapter Consciousness
Chapter 253 Finding Chapter Consciousness
"Look at this! Feel it! This is the power of the Qilin guarding the earth and blessing all living beings! This is the flame of the Phoenix burning away filth and bringing new life!" Nie Lingfeng's voice suddenly rose, carrying an undeniable firmness and a strange resonance, as if chanting an ancient prayer, "They chose us! They brought us here! Not to destroy, but to awaken! To awaken your true name and vows buried by darkness and pain!"
"What you are protecting is not this cold stone coffin and ruins! It is all the living beings on this land who are still struggling to survive! It is the ley lines and hope that have been polluted but have not yet completely succumbed!"
A warm stream of light touched the ancient being's hand, flowing with "magma." The anticipated explosion or erosion did not occur. The light, like the gentlest stream, quietly merged into the dark red "magma." A strange scene unfolded—the small patch of "magma" into which the light merged visibly faded and subsided, even faintly revealing a rich, dark golden luster belonging to the earth! Although it was only a tiny patch, and quickly covered again by the surrounding surging dark red, that instantaneous change was undeniably real!
The portion of light that shot towards its "eyes" was swallowed by the chaotic vortex. But this time, the vortex did not crush or contaminate it; instead, it fluctuated violently! Deep within the vortex, the two cold, lifeless points of light seemed to be injected with some kind of "fuel," suddenly bursting into a brilliant flash! In that instant of brilliance, Nie Lingfeng seemed to "see" some extremely blurry yet ancient fragments of images flash by—a majestic altar, devout sacrifices, the phantom of a divine beast, and faces of ancestors filled with awe and hope… Also, a terrifying shadow descending from the heavens, the crumbling earth, the mournful cry of the divine beast, and a towering figure who resolutely merged himself with the core of the altar, unleashing a deafening roar…
It is memory! It is the true memory of the "last guardians," buried by pollution and the dust of long years!
"Ugh... Ahhhhhh!!!"
The ancient being suddenly clutched its rock-mask-like head, letting out an agonizing wail that seemed to tear its very soul apart! This wail was no longer simply madness and destruction, but was mixed with endless sorrow, regret, and a trace of... a deeper pain as it finally remembered something!
With its mournful howl, the dark red "magma tentacles" that had been wildly flailing across its body drooped limply and dissipated, as if they had lost their support. The tremors throughout the stone chamber gradually subsided. However, the oppressive aura and chaotic energy emanating from it did not diminish; on the contrary, due to the impact of the memories, it became even more unstable, like a futuristic aggregate filled with contradictory energies that could explode at any moment.
"I...remember...something..." The ancient being's thoughts became clearer, yet more painful, each word seeming to weep blood, "I am...Shanpan...the last guardian shaman of this 'Mountain Suppressing Altar'..."
"Calamity...is descending...Lord Qilin is gravely injured...Lord Phoenix has scattered its flames...The altar is defiled...The earth's veins are about to collapse..."
"I...have no other talents...only...this body...and...soul...bestowed upon me by Lord Qilin, imbued with the essence of the earth's veins..."
"I use my body as the lock... my soul as the key... to completely merge myself with the core of the altar, the earth's spiritual core... transforming into... the final barrier... sealing... the deepest part of the altar... the rift that resonates with the source of the 'calamity'... and also... guarding... the spark of hope left by our ancestors... and... the 'token' that connects heaven and earth..."
"I swear...as long as I have a breath left...as long as my will remains...I will never allow...filth...to step out of the altar...I will never allow...the 'key'...to fall into the hands of...the blasphemer..."
"But...it's been so long...too long...the darkness...the pain...the pollution...constantly...eroding...my body...wearing away...my will..."
"I gradually... forgot myself... forgot my vows... only the... instinct to protect... and... the... anger... and... the... desire to destroy... remained after being corrupted..."
"Until... just now... those... insects... carrying... the same blasphemous aura as the calamity of that year... broke in... their bloodshed... and greed... completely... awakened... me... and... made me... even more... confused..."
Mountain Rock! Guardian Shaman! With your body as the lock and your soul as the key, you seal the rift and protect the token!
Nie Lingfeng was shocked! Just as he thought! The "Last Guardian" before him was actually an ancient hero who had voluntarily sacrificed himself during that catastrophe, merging with the altar's ley lines to become a living seal and guardian! It was only due to the erosion and torment of pollution over the long years that he had become the chaotic and suffering figure he is today!
"Senior Shanpan!" Nie Lingfeng's tone was even more respectful, yet also carried a heavy weight of empathy. "You haven't forgotten! Your vow, what you protected, has always remained! Look, in the cave outside, the source of pollution you sealed with your life has been purified by me and my companions! The wounds on the ley lines will slowly heal!"
He pointed to the scattered items beside the sarcophagus—dark red crystals, fragments of a phoenix jade pendant, and the ancient scepter inlaid with strange gems. "These...are they the 'tokens' and 'seeds of hope' you guarded? They're still here! They weren't taken by those blasphemers!"
The mountain rock (or rather, the mountain rock that had regained a sliver of clarity) slowly turned its rocky head, its chaotic, swirling "gaze" sweeping over the objects on the ground. When it saw the ancient scepter, the light within its swirling scepter clearly froze for a moment, revealing an extremely complex emotion—a mixture of nostalgia, sorrow, and… an indescribable sense of awe.
"That's... the 'Earth Vein Scepter'... a token... used to connect with the earth's veins... to draw upon the power of mountains and rivers... and also... a certificate... bestowed upon... the guardian of the altar by... Lord Qilin..." Shanpan's thoughts were filled with vicissitudes. "Beside it... are... fragments of the 'Phoenix Rebirth Pendant'... and... a drop... of purified... 'Earth Vein Essence' (dark red crystal)... They... are... seeds of... hope..."
"Now...they...are...your..." Shanpan's thoughts suddenly turned to Nie Lingfeng, carrying a sense of relief yet also a resolute tone. "I can...feel...the Qilin power within you...though...weak...it is...pure and...resilient...and...infused with...the life force of the Phoenix...you...are...the chosen one..."
"My...time...is running out...The erosion of countless years...and...the awakening just now...have brought my...body...which has long been one with the polluted ley lines...and...my...broken...soul...to...the end..."
"While I...can still...control...myself...last...sliver...of...clear...will..."
"Take...the token...and...the seed...and leave...this place..."
"This altar...my body...is...completely...entangled...with...the...pollution...into...the...sealed...'rift...I...cannot...leave...and...cannot...be...completely...purified..."
"When my...last...will...dissipates...this body...and...altar...will...undergo...violent...energy...collapse...and...annihilation...along with...that...rift..."
"This is... the last thing I... can do... for... this land..."
The mountain's will grew weaker and calmer, as if it were making its final arrangements. The dark red "magma" and chaotic aura on its body began to slowly contract and condense inward in a strange way, as if preparing for a final, all-ending explosion.
Nie Lingfeng's pupils constricted sharply! He understood! Shan Pan was willing to sacrifice his own complete annihilation to trigger a chain reaction of collapses in the altar and his body (which was integrated with the polluted ley lines and fissures), thereby completely destroying the "fissure" connected to the source of the "calamity" and eliminating any future troubles! What a tragic and resolute sacrifice this was!
"Senior! Perhaps there's another way! We can try..." Nie Lingfeng said urgently. He couldn't bear to watch such a respectable guardian end up in such a tragic way.
"There's no...time..." Shanpan's thoughts were intermittent, yet unusually firm. "I can...feel...an ominous...tremor...coming from...the other side of the 'rift'...the aura of those blasphemers...has alerted...something...on the other side...I must...completely...sever...the...connection...before...it...reacts..."
"Hurry...take...the keepsake...and...hope...and leave..."
"Take good care of... this... land... that has suffered so much... for me..."
"Tell...those who come after...Shanpan...has not...forgot...the vow..."
With the final transmission of its will, the rocky, mask-like head of the mountain slowly lowered. The chaotic vortexes in its eye sockets began to dim and shrink rapidly at a steady pace. The dark red "magma" and chaotic energy surrounding it contracted and condensed even faster, forming an increasingly bright, unstable energy core radiating destructive fluctuations at its chest! The milky-white stone of the entire chamber began to emit subtle cracking sounds as it struggled to bear the weight! The air itself seemed about to be ignited by the impending explosion of energy!
There's no time to hesitate!
Nie Lingfeng gritted his teeth, a trace of grief and determination flashing in his eyes! He said no more, and solemnly and deeply bowed to the mountain that was slowly bowing its head, preparing to receive its final annihilation!
"Farewell, senior. Your vows, your protection, will be forever etched in our hearts!"
Then, he turned abruptly and rushed to the stone coffin at top speed, grabbing the "Earth Vein Scepter," the fragment of the "Phoenix Nirvana Pendant," and the "Earth Vein Essence" crystal from the ground and stuffing them into his robes. He then rushed to the unconscious Jida, attempting to carry him on his back. However, Jida was tall and strong, while Nie Lingfeng was extremely weak at the moment, making it very difficult for him to carry him.
"Waaah—waaah—"
Just then, the long, urgent wooden whistle of the mountain guardian sounded again outside the passage, carrying a clear sense of urging and warning! At the same time, a series of hurried footsteps came from the passage. It was the old apothecary woman. She rushed in anxiously. When she saw the scene inside, especially the increasingly bright energy core on Shan Pan's chest, her expression changed drastically. Without saying a word, she rushed to the other side and helped Nie Lingfeng to support the unconscious Jida.
"Go!" the old woman hissed in broken Chinese.
The three of them (Nie Lingfeng, the old woman, and the man supporting Jida) stumbled and staggered, using all their strength to rush towards the outside of the stone gate!
Just as they burst through the stone gate and stepped into the passage outside—
"Buzz—!!!"
An indescribable, deep, and utterly deafening roar, seemingly from the ends of the earth, suddenly erupted from the "Sacred Relic Room" behind us! There was no earth-shattering explosion, only a terrifying feeling that made one's soul freeze, as if space itself was collapsing and annihilating inward!
Immediately afterwards, an irresistible shockwave of annihilating energy, a mixture of purity and filth, order and chaos, creation and destruction, surged out from the stone gate like an invisible tsunami, instantly catching up with Nie Lingfeng and his two companions who had just run a dozen meters!
"puff--!"