National Guardian's Gone and We're Done

He parted his lips slightly, saying softly, "No."

He paused as soon as the word left his mouth.

His profound gaze seemed to pierce through the thick, inky night, peering into the endless distance.

He had already foreseen everything that was about to unfold.

He then added, "But someone will make a move. Don’t worry. And that person is almost here."

With that, Chu He slowly raised his head,

his gaze locking onto a specific spot at the construction site as if targeted.

At first, there was only a minuscule glimmer of golden light,

as small as a grain of sand hidden in the darkness.

In a night so dark it was almost impenetrable, it would have been impossible to notice without staring intently.

In just the blink of an eye, that faint, almost nonexistent golden light

was infused with a mysterious and violent power, flaring up like a spark catching fire.

It expanded and spread at a jaw-dropping speed.

Within a few short seconds, a blinding beam of golden light capable of tearing the night sky asunder,

wrapped in endless majesty and mystery,

slashed through the heavy darkness, appearing in the sky above the construction site shrouded in fear and bloodshed.

Everyone looked up instinctively,

and in that instant, they were all struck dumb by the sight before them.

A woman of unparalleled grace hovered silently high in the air.

Her long, golden hair cascaded down like a torrential river of stars,

the soft strands drifting gently in the night wind, each one seeming to radiate a dreamy, mesmerizing luster.

It was a fantastical, dreamlike sight that was impossible to look away from.

The woman wore a dazzling golden feather garment,

a robe that was clearly no worldly item. It was suffused with an incredibly powerful golden radiance,

and as the light flowed, ancient and mysterious Runes flickered in and out of view.

She was like a goddess descended from the heavens, standing proudly in the sky above.

The light she emitted was blindingly brilliant,

like a newly risen sun radiating boundless light.

Wherever it reached, the darkness was utterly dispelled, leaving not a single trace behind.

With the stunning arrival of this mysterious woman,

the scene above the construction site underwent a world-turning transformation in an instant.

The once dark and oppressive night sky, under the Demon’s Curse,

seemed to rewind time in a flash, returning to daylight.

Blue skies and white clouds reappeared like an illusion,

intertwining and reflecting the brilliant, sun-like radiance emanating from the woman herself,

forming a breathtakingly beautiful scene that seemed to belong only in the heavens.

"What is this?" Zheng Qifeng and Xiang Xiufang’s eyes widened,

their faces filled with shock and awe, their mouths hanging open.

They had lived for most of their lives and traveled to countless places,

but they had never seen such an otherworldly, fantastical sight.

Least of all did they expect to witness such an earth-shattering spectacle

on a night thick with terror and bloodshed.

Yumizakura stood to the side, her face pale as a sheet, completely drained of color.

A flicker of terror crossed her eyes, a fear so palpable it was like a shadow looming deep within them. "That is Amaterasu of the White-Red Empire. This wound on me..."

As she spoke, she subconsciously raised a hand to her shoulder,

a pained expression on her face as if the wound there was aching again. "...was her doing."

Worst of all,

my Charm Technique—the very skill my Nine-tailed Demon Fox clan is famous for and that I pride myself on—

was like child’s play in front of her. It was completely useless. She saw through it in a single glance.

And when it comes to speed, I couldn’t even hope to keep up.

She’s like a golden bolt of lightning, unimaginably fast, able to cross space in an instant.

If Amaterasu hadn’t been holding back then,

wanting to see who was backing me, I’m afraid I would have been killed long ago. There’s no way I could have escaped back here."

Yumizakura patted her chest, still shaken. The fear in her eyes lingered like maggots clinging to bone, impossible to shake off.

"Master, what if Amaterasu gets here and decides to attack us first?"

Yumizakura looked at Chu He, her voice filled with worry.

Chu He’s expression was calm as he said, "Amaterasu won’t find us."

His tone was firm and decisive, as unshakable as a mountain in a storm.

And just as he said, after Amaterasu appeared, her gaze was cold and distant.

Like a lofty deity looking down on ants, she merely scanned the construction site below,

seemingly oblivious to the direction where Chu He and the others were.

It was as if Chu He, Xia Chengli, Yumizakura, and Zheng Bolan—their entire group—

simply didn’t exist in this spatial dimension.

Xia Chengli frowned, lost in deep thought, his eyes fixed on Chu He.

A moment later, as if struck by a flash of insight, he spoke. "The aura you’re giving off right now... it’s a lot like my master’s."

The last time we saw my master, you were no match for him. This time, though... I’m not so sure."

A slight smile touched the corners of Chu He’s mouth. "So you noticed."

I can now form a domain of my own.

Within this domain, I am the absolute master.

Not even one of the Deities as revered as Amaterasu can see through my domain.

That’s also why, on the day we met your master,

he was standing right in front of me... but if he hadn’t intentionally allowed me to see him with my own eyes,

I would have been completely unable to detect his presence."

Hearing Chu He’s words, Yumizakura’s nerves, which had been stretched as taut as a bowstring, finally relaxed a little.

She let out a long sigh, and the worry on her face faded slightly.