Start from a baby to become a Taoist

Chapter 453 has been ignited!

The 461st anniversary was truly ignited!
She slowly raised her head, her eyes, once blurred by tears, now burning with a determination more intense than the flame of Yu Kong's power. She knew this hope was like a candle flickering in the wind, so faint as to be almost imperceptible, but as long as there was even the slightest possibility, she would fight with everything she had. This was not only for Senior Brother Xu Ran, but also for the continuation that Yu Kong had given his life for, and for that cosmic future hanging by a thread!

"Boom!"

Outside the forbidden zone, it was as if an invisible celestial barrier had been torn apart, emitting a deafening roar. It wasn't thunder, but the sound of countless powerful beings breaking through the boundaries and surging into this ancient land! The tide of darkness had finally swept in!

First to arrive were the "Fallen Ones," corrupted by the power of the Lord of Nothingness—once the pride and strongest among the various races of the universe, now only twisted shells and corroded souls remained, their eyes gleaming with chaotic and bloodthirsty light. They swarmed like locusts, carrying an aura of decay, instantly engulfing the crumbling mountains at the edge of the forbidden zone. Closely following were the "Void Hunters" from the depths of nothingness, their forms eerie, silently traversing the chaotic currents of law, their ghostly sharp claws tearing through space, heading straight for the core!
Further away, there were other beings of immense and ancient power. They were not entirely corrupted by the void, but rather carried their own purposes—some coveting the secrets deep within the forbidden zone, others attempting to profit from this catastrophe. Like long-dormant beasts, they finally bared their fangs in this chaotic moment, stirring up the already disordered laws and plunging the entire forbidden zone into unprecedented rage!
Xu Qinghan struggled to stand, but every bone in her body seemed to be screaming in agony. The backlash from burning her life force in the Sky, coupled with the exhaustion from forcibly unleashing her power, made even lifting a finger incredibly difficult. However, she couldn't fall! The flame of Sky still flickered in her chest, its faint yet tenacious golden light silently reminding her that hope had not yet been extinguished!

Just then, streaks of light flew swiftly from the depths of the forbidden zone. These were powerful beings from the universe who were trapped within the forbidden zone or had come here for various reasons. They had once been enemies or unrelated passersby, but at this moment, facing a common calamity, they all turned their gazes to Xu Qinghan!

"It's her! She succeeded!" someone exclaimed, their voice filled with unbelievable elation.

“The flame of the guardians… has truly been ignited!” another person said in a trembling voice, his eyes filled with awe.

"Quick! Protect her! She is our last hope!" An old man clad in ancient armor, exuding a powerful aura, roared and charged towards Xu Qinghan, followed by a group of equally powerful followers.

Xu Qinghan heard their voices and saw the complex yet fervent gazes in their eyes. She understood that Yu Kong had not only bought her time but also, by sacrificing his life, completely activated the guardian's legacy within her, making her the "Torchbearer" that everyone was watching, the new guardian! This power, this responsibility, was so heavy that it almost suffocated her, but at the same time, it infused her with new strength, allowing a glimmer of life to surge back into her almost withered body.

She gritted her teeth, braced herself with her hands, and struggled to her feet. She could feel a vast and ancient power surging from the golden flame in her chest, flowing through her limbs and bones, healing her injuries and nourishing her soul. This power perfectly merged with her own cosmic origin, giving her an unprecedentedly clear perception of the surrounding laws and the erosion of the power of nothingness.

However, this power seems so insignificant at this moment.

The "container"—the twisted anchor point formed by the fusion of Senior Brother Xu Ran's body and the gray pillar of light—became slightly unstable under the interference of the Sky-Soaring Flame, but its oppressive aura became even more violent. It seemed to be completely enraged, its silent roar shaking the entire forbidden zone, causing the laws to become even more chaotic and the space to continuously collapse.

"Roar!"

A deafening roar echoed from the outer edge of the forbidden zone! It was neither a Fallen One nor a Void Hunter, but some ancient and powerful being!

A figure as black as ink descended from the sky like a mountain, its body wreathed in countless twisted runes of law, each radiating a destructive aura. Its appearance caused all the creatures that had rushed into the forbidden zone to pause, even the crazed fallen ones instinctively halting in their tracks, letting out low growls.

These are the "Pioneers" under the command of the Lord of Nothingness! They are either the embodiment of the Lord of Nothingness's will cast into the universe, or ancient deities who have been completely corrupted. They possess world-destroying power and are the true executors of this catastrophe!
War has broken out completely!

"kill!"

There were no superfluous words, only the most primal killing!
Those powerful figures rushing towards Xu Qinghan were instantly suppressed by the terrifying pressure emanating from the pioneer the moment she appeared, but they did not retreat. They were the guardians of the universe, the last hope of all races; they wanted to buy time for Xu Qinghan and fight for the continuation of the flame!
Ancient combat techniques erupted within the forbidden zone, dazzling divine light clashing fiercely with the dark power of nothingness. Each exchange tore through space and shattered mountains. Flesh and blood flew, laws collapsed—this ancient forbidden zone instantly transformed into a battlefield of carnage!
Xu Qinghan's gaze pierced through the chaotic battlefield, fixed on the distorted anchor point. Xu Ran's figure flickered within it, his once steady and warm aura now replaced by a chilling, void-like power.

She knew that the flame of the Sky was merely a wedge; it couldn't completely destroy the anchor point, nor could it directly save Senior Brother Xu Ran. However, its internal interference bought her a precious opportunity. She had to seize this opportunity to find a way to completely save her senior brother!

"The flame is ignited..." she murmured the name of the secret technique. This technique was one of the most profound and dangerous methods in the Guardian's heritage. It could use the Guardian's flame as a catalyst to rekindle the faint flame of "self" within a being corrupted by nothingness. However, performing this technique required paying an extremely heavy price, possibly even sacrificing one's own life, and the success rate was extremely low.

But now, she has no other choice!

She felt the Guardian's power flowing within her, intertwining with the flames of her flight, giving her a deeper understanding of the "Flame Ignition" technique. She knew that to truly unleash this art, she needed more than just power; she needed ultimate control over the origin of the universe, profound insight into the concept of life, and... more Guardian's flames!
"More guardians of the flame..." She suddenly raised her head and looked at the vast and unknown starry sky.

The universe is so vast. Besides Yu Kong and herself, are there any other guardians? Or are there other ignited flames scattered in some corner of the universe? If she can find them and gather them together, perhaps she can truly pull Senior Brother Xu Ran back from the abyss of nothingness!

This idea burned like wildfire in her heart.

But the current situation left her no time to think.

A dark shadow tore through space like lightning, rushing straight towards Xu Qinghan! It was another pioneer of the Lord of Nothingness, sensing the aura of the Flame and directly locking onto Xu Qinghan, its new guardian!
"Die!" The cold, destructive voice exploded directly into Xu Qinghan's soul!
Xu Qinghan had no time to react and could only instinctively activate the guardian power that had just emerged within her body, condensing a golden light screen in front of her.

"Boom!" The light barrier shattered instantly, and Xu Qinghan was blasted away by the terrifying force. Her body flew backward like a kite with a broken string, crashing heavily into the distant mountain wall and kicking up clouds of dust.

"Qinghan!" In the distance, the old man clad in ancient armor roared in grief and anger. He tried to rush over, but was tightly entangled by several Void Hunters.

Xu Qinghan coughed up blood, her body wracked with pain, but her gaze hardened. She knew this war had only just begun, and she had to survive! She had to carry the torch of the Sky, the legacy of the Guardians, to find more power, to find more companions, so that she could ignite the true flame of hope in this darkness sweeping the universe!

She struggled to her feet from the rubble, her eyes no longer filled with sorrow, but with a resilience and determination honed by hardship. She gazed at the chaotic battlefield, at the powerful warriors who had fought and bled for her, at the twisted anchor point, and at the faintly visible figure of her senior brother within it.

"Senior brother, wait for me..." she murmured softly, her voice carrying an undeniable determination.

She knew the road ahead would be incredibly long and arduous. She would face the erosion of the entire Lord of Nothingness, countless powerful enemies, and the unknown abyss of the universe. But she would not give up. Because she was a guardian, because the flame of soaring through the sky burned within her heart, because she bore the mission of saving her senior brother and the universe!

An ancient forbidden zone, where winds of change are blowing. Darkness has completely enveloped everything. But the flame still burns. A new era, intertwined with sacrifice and hope, is quietly beginning. The future of the universe hangs by a thread. And that thread is held in the hands of a few beings who have inherited the ancient will.

Xu Qinghan is one of them.

She took a deep breath, feeling the flame pulsating in her chest—a flame that represented not only her will to soar through the air, but also the unwavering belief passed down through generations of guardians. She knew she couldn't rely solely on the power of the flame; she needed to grow, she needed to become stronger.

"The Guardian's Legacy..." She closed her eyes, and the ancient messages that Yu Kong had passed on to her before his death floated into her mind. They were about the origin of the Guardian lineage, the mysteries of the universe's origin, the methods to fight against the Lord of Nothingness, and... a deeper interpretation of the "Ignition of the Flame" secret technique.

She suddenly opened her eyes, a flash of understanding crossing them. The power of a guardian is not static; it grows stronger as the guardian matures, even capable of absorbing the primal energy scattered throughout the universe and transforming it into part of the flame. And the "Flame Ignition" technique is not merely about sacrificing oneself to ignite the "self" of another; it's more like a catalyst, a trigger, requiring the faint flame of the ignited being's own to resonate with the flame for it to truly take effect.

This means that the "self" fire within Senior Brother Xu Ran's body, which was disturbed by the Sky-Soaring Flame, was not completely extinguished, although it was weak!

This gave her greater hope and clarified her direction. She needed to find more primordial cosmic power to strengthen her own flame and increase the success rate of the "Flame Ignition" technique.

"kill!"

Another roar jolted her from her reverie.

The battle at the edge of the forbidden zone intensified. Although the powerful beings of the universe fought desperately, they began to suffer casualties under the siege of the Void Pioneers and countless Fallen Ones. Blood stained the earth, limbs and torsos were scattered everywhere, and the entire forbidden zone was filled with a thick stench of blood and death.

Xu Qinghan knew she couldn't sit idly by any longer. Although she was the new guardian, she wasn't a bystander. The time Yu Kong had bought for her with his life wasn't for her to think, but for her to act!

She once again activated the guardian power within her that had just recovered. Although this power was still very weak, it allowed her to traverse the chaotic laws and remain conscious despite the corrosive power of nothingness. She turned her gaze to the battlefield, to the figures who were fighting and bleeding for the sake of protection.

She saw the old man clad in ancient armor, his battle axe wielding the wind with incredible speed, each strike carrying the power to cleave the heavens and earth, slicing several Void Hunters to pieces. But his body was also covered in wounds, his armor stained crimson with blood.

She saw those once proud cosmic geniuses now abandoning their identities and barriers, fighting back-to-back with the fallen ones. Their eyes held no fear, only a resolute determination to die.

She also saw those "half-fallen" who had been corrupted by the Lord of Nothingness, but were temporarily awakened by some secret technique and regained a sliver of clarity. They had also joined the battle, using their broken bodies to fight against their completely fallen brethren. Their eyes were filled with pain and struggle, but even more so with a longing for self-redemption.

Is this the "spark of hope" that Yu Kong spoke of?

A surge of indescribable emotion and sorrow welled up in Xu Qinghan's heart. Yu Kong had not only sacrificed himself, but he had also left behind these awakened "half-fallen" in the forbidden zone. They were another legacy left by Yu Kong, a faint hope he had ignited in despair.

Without hesitation, she charged onto the battlefield. She wanted to join the fight, to fight alongside these beings who were battling for hope! She wanted to repay Yu Kong's sacrifice with her own actions, to protect this hard-won hope!

Her figure moved swiftly through the chaotic battlefield. Although her strength was not yet enough to contend with those powerful pioneers, she could feel that every punch and kick she threw carried the purifying power unique to the Flame. Those fallen ones she touched would have their void power slightly disturbed, slowing their speed and dulling their attacks.

(End of this chapter)