National Guardian's Gone and We're Done

Xia Yunya tilted his head back slightly, his gaze deep and distant. He seemed to be looking back through the river of time, seriously considering the complex, profound question. After a moment, he slowly gave an ambiguous answer.

"Then why didn’t a single one of you stand up when the Evil Spirits invaded?

Do you have any idea how many innocent people died in this world because you all stood by, aloof and watching from on high?"

A flash of anger and accusation crossed Chu He’s eyes.

Most importantly, not only did this group fail to step forward, but they had also gathered and hidden away the powerful Martial Arts Secret Techniques.

"Because we had more important things to do."

Xia Yunya still wore that smile, as gentle as a spring breeze.

To Chu He, however, the smile was jarring.

He spoke unhurriedly, "The issues you’ve raised... we have considered them deeply in the past. However, we did not dare to step forward rashly."

"Why?"

Chu He’s brow was tightly furrowed, his face a mask of confusion and disbelief.

He simply could not understand why these people, who possessed such immense power, would choose to retreat during a crisis of such widespread devastation.

"It’s a long story that must begin in the distant past.

You must have heard the legend of the creation of the world,

how Pangu used his supreme power to split the chaos, which gave rise to the history of humanity.

Or Nuwa mending the heavens—Fu Xi’s sister, Nuwa, smelted five-colored stones to mend the sky, saving all living beings from disaster.

And Jingwei, the divine bird from ancient myths who carried twigs and stones, determined to fill the sea.

These stories are not fictional.

In ancient times, there truly were many wondrous beings and great deeds.

Among them were not only the myths and legends of the East,

but also numerous Deities from foreign lands.

For example, Zeus, the King of Gods; Hades, lord of the underworld; Poseidon, the Sea God; and Athena, the Goddess of Wisdom.

They all possessed transcendent power and controlled the mysterious laws of heaven and earth."

Xia Yunya’s voice was low and magnetic, recounting an ancient epic that had been sealed away by time.

"Then why did they disappear?

Are those Deities just like you,

secretly gloating as disasters unfold in the Mortal World?"

Chu He’s voice was bitingly cold,

like a piercing winter wind that howled through the space, carrying his undisguised doubt and scorn.

"Because those Deities all left.

They discovered a more beautiful place—a Paradise, a true land of bliss.

Deities, like mortals, also pursue pleasure and comfort.

But the number of Deities allowed in that Paradise is limited.

After all, to them, Paradise is like a finite cake. The more Deities there are,

the smaller the piece each one gets."

Xia Yunya subconsciously lowered his voice, as if afraid of being overheard.

His mysterious demeanor only piqued Chu He’s curiosity even more.

"However, a powerful barrier exists in this world.

If one cannot break through that barrier, one cannot leave.

At the time, some called that barrier the ’Plane Gate’.

Later, after tireless research, those Deities discovered

that the number of their kind in the Mortal World was too small to accumulate enough power,

making it difficult to shatter this barrier.

So, the Deities spread their unique cultivation techniques to the Human Race.

From then on, the Human Race began to cultivate, and gradually,

more and more powerful individuals emerged, many of whom had the potential to become Deities themselves.

As the power of the Human Race continued to grow,

they eventually succeeded in breaking open the Plane Gate.

But by then, many of the Human Race’s experts already possessed power great enough to threaten the Deities.

So the Deities proposed that they be allowed to ascend first,

and promised that those who ascended first would help the others follow.

After some deliberation, the experts of the Human Race agreed to this proposal.

But in the end, those who ascended first did not fulfill their promise to help the others.

Instead, they lived better and better lives in that Paradise, and their Cultivation grew ever more profound."

As he spoke of this,

a hint of mockery appeared on Xia Yunya’s face—a scorn for the selfishness and hypocrisy of the Deities.

Hearing these shocking secrets, Chu He fell into a long silence.

A thousand thoughts raced through his mind, a tangled mess.

After a long while, he slowly asked, "Then what are you people plotting?"

His eyes were fixed on Xia Yunya, trying to find a clue to the truth in his expression.

"We, the Human Race, also had our own Deities.

The Deities of the Human Race were compassionate and benevolent; they naturally protected the Human Race.

They hoped that everyone could find happiness and live stable, wonderful lives,

that everyone could embark on the sacred path of ascension.

So, they quietly left behind methods of cultivation in the world.

These were the keys to power and transcendence, containing endless mysteries and strength.

However, for some unknown reason, the Deities of the Human Race

slowly vanished over the long course of time.

Some speculate that even Deities cannot escape the erosion of time

and will eventually grow old.

And when a Deity grew old and their power waned, those with wolfish ambitions

would swarm them like vicious wolves, attempting to seize the Deity’s authority and power."

A trace of reminiscence and melancholy filled Xia Yunya’s eyes as he spoke of this tragic history, long sealed by the years.

"The later group of non-Human Deities, for their own selfish desires,

to prevent the Human Race from rising again,

and to secure a larger share of the benefits for themselves in that so-called ’Paradise’—