National Guardian's Gone and We're Done

"Later on, the old man would often tell me that the future of Blue Star might depend on my growth and rise to find its way forward in this ever-changing world.

I absolutely loved it when he’d say that,

because it meant I was the protagonist of this world.

The world’s destiny—whether it would have a bright and glorious future

or plunge into the dark, boundless Hell Abyss—was all mine to control with a single thought."

As she said this, a radiant smile bloomed on Xia Chengli’s face.

The joyful look on her face made it seem as if she could already see a glorious vision of herself standing at the pinnacle of the world,

ruling over all, her heart filled with anticipation for the future.

A flicker of doubt and curiosity crossed Chu He’s eyes.

He frowned slightly, his gaze fixed on Xia Chengli as he pressed her. "What kind of mysterious entity is backing you?

I’ve taught you so many Martial Arts Secret Techniques without holding anything back. You can’t just keep being so tight-lipped with me, can you?

You should know, just one of the Martial Arts Secret Techniques I casually taught you

is likely something your backers couldn’t even hope to find.

Is such a precious inheritance not enough to trade for your honesty?"

Xia Chengli bit her lower lip, seeming to hesitate over where to begin.

After a moment, she looked up, a hint of reminiscence in her eyes, and said slowly, "You’re absolutely right.

I mentioned the Ancient Martial Inheritance to you before.

Have you ever wondered why it’s so hard to find any trace of Deities in the lands of the Great Xia Empire?

I still clearly remember a time,

when the Great Xia Empire was mocked and ridiculed by other Empires.

They slandered us,

calling the Great Xia Empire a godless, barren land where the flowers of evil flourished.

However, the truth was buried deep.

All traces and clues related to Deities within the Great Xia Empire

had long been secretly carved up and hidden from public view by a few powerful, deeply-rooted factions that controlled the Ancient Martial Inheritance."

"What exactly is this Ancient Martial Arts you speak of? What secrets are hidden within it?"

Chu He’s curiosity was thoroughly piqued. His eyes were filled with an eager yearning,

like a traveler who, after groping in the dark for ages, had finally seen a glimmer of light and was desperate to find its source.

Xia Chengli didn’t answer him directly.

Instead, she blinked her bright, expressive eyes

and slyly posed a question. "What do you think? The *Classic of Mountains and Seas*,

and all those other widely known ancient myths and legends about Deities,

are they historical fact, or just products of our ancestors’ imaginations?"

Hearing this, Chu He fell into deep thought.

His brow was tightly furrowed, his eyes revealing a hint of confusion and bewilderment.

After a long while,

he finally spoke, his voice tinged with hesitation and uncertainty. "That’s a difficult question for me to answer.

I often find myself wavering between what’s real and what’s not.

Sometimes, I feel like I can sense the weight of history and truth in those ancient legends,

as if I witnessed those myths unfold with my own eyes.

But other times, reason tells me they’re merely the fruit of our ancestors’ rich imaginations.

The question of whether Deities truly exist has always been a lingering doubt in my mind.

If Deities don’t exist, then how did the Evil Spirits suddenly come into being in this world?

Why would humans, without any warning,

suddenly gain the ability to practice Martial Arts,

even reaching an astonishing level of mastery comparable to that of Deities?

But if this world really does have Deities,

then according to the legends passed down through the generations,

Deities are supposed to be humanity’s protectors. Yet when the Evil Spirits ran rampant,

when the world was plunged into misery and suffering, a hellscape of corpses and blood,

the Deities seemed to have vanished into the endless void, never once appearing to save us.

Instead, these so-called ’Deities’ are nothing more than Evil Spirits in magnificent disguises, acting with impunity using borrowed divine authority."

Xia Chengli nodded gently,

a flicker of reminiscence in her eyes as she continued, "The old man once told me

that Deities did indeed exist in this world.

It’s just that, over the long course of history, they quietly departed.

In ancient times, there was a glorious era when humanity dominated the world.

In that distant age,

humans were the invincible beings at the apex of the food chain, masters of all creation.

But later, for some unknown reason, some world-shaking event occurred,

and humanity’s inherited power began to dwindle like a drying stream,

growing weak and scarce, with only a few lucky individuals retaining a portion of the precious inheritance.

When the Evil Spirits once again shrouded the world like a plague,

those who possessed the Martial Arts inheritance embarked on the arduous journey to find the mysterious traces of Ancient Martial Arts.

The inherited power these people command is unimaginably strong, enough to shake one to their core.

Normally, the old man also maintains a web of intricate, complex connections with the other factions that hold an Ancient Martial Inheritance.

They seem to be secretly plotting some earth-shattering plan,

but they’ve always been extremely secretive and mysterious,

as if they fear some unknown, powerful entity.

I’ve asked the old man about these things countless times, but he’s always been tight-lipped, refusing to breathe a single word.

When I set out to travel and make a name for myself,

he repeatedly and sternly warned me, strictly forbidding me from telling any outsiders about these matters."