The Last Sentinel

The capital of the Ming Dynasty, outside the Wenhua Hall.

The night was as dark as ink, the palace lanterns flickered, and the eunuch's high-pitched voice trembled under the eaves.

"Your Highness, Lord Ye Feng's clone insists on seeing you for some reason. Please go and see him!"

Inside the Wenhua Hall, the candlelight was dim, while outside the hall, the palace walls stood majestically. Zhu Biao, the Crown Prince of the Ming Dynasty, sat upright before his desk.

His once gentle and kind face had long lost its luster. His eye sockets were deeply sunken and filled with heavy dark circles. His cheekbones were slightly protruding, and his complexion was pale and weary. The brocade robe he wore as a prince looked somewhat empty on him. His eyelids were lowered, and the gentleness in his eyes concealed an inescapable weariness and a sense of despair.

In the bronze crane-shaped incense burner at the corner of the hall, a stick of calming incense had burned to the end, the grayish-white ash breaking into pieces and falling silently. The candle wick popped with a "snap," deepening the weariness between his brows.

There's nothing else to it, but this clone of Ye Feng is just too torturous!

Zhu Biao now finally understands why Zhu Houcong didn't hesitate at all when he handed over the throne to him, and just ran away!

Emotions and childcare can really drive people crazy!

He hadn't slept a full night in days; all he could hear was the baby's babbling, and his dreams were filled with spilled baby bottles. He rubbed his throbbing temples, his knuckles turning white, and the anger in his heart grew heavier and heavier.

"Zhu Houcong, you bastard!"

"Now you've gone to cultivate immortality under the tutelage of the Frost Ancestor! Leaving your old ancestor here to look after the children!"

"You win!"

"We'll settle the score when you get back!"

He suddenly stood up, the hem of his brocade robe stirring up a gust of wind, even causing two pages of the memorials on the table to flip.

Zhu Biao straightened his sleeves, pushed open the door, and headed straight for the side hall of Benzai.

As soon as the door opened, a blast of hot, chaotic air hit you.

Inside the palace, everything was in disarray, as if a category 8 hurricane had swept through. The curtains were torn to shreds, and the floor was littered with shredded paper and overturned fruit platters. Even the gilded palace lantern hung askew in mid-air, its light flickering. A shattered jade bowl lay askew at the palace entrance, milk stains dripping down the threshold and gleaming faintly in the lamplight.

The guards and eunuchs hid outside the door, craning their necks and peeking out. When they saw Zhu Biao arrive, they seemed to have found their pillar of support.

"Your Highness, you'd better go and see! This brat has lost his temper!"

"I don't know why, but he suddenly lost his temper."

Zhu Biao waved his hand, and the guards withdrew. He then strolled into the main hall.

In the middle of the hall, on a cloud bed larger than a football field, the little one, clutching a baby bottle, crawled around, babbling. His round little body rolled around on the cloud bed, his two little legs kicking rapidly, scattering cloud fluff everywhere.

"Son, what's wrong?" Zhu Biao walked up to him with a big smile. "Were you looking for me?"

The smiles were so forced that they actually revealed a hint of weariness.

When this little guy saw Zhu Biao, he hurriedly got up and started gesturing wildly. His chubby little fingers pointed randomly in the air, and he stomped his feet in frustration.

Zhu Biao blinked: "No, kid, what are you talking about!"

The little guy held the bottle in his left hand and suddenly grabbed the cap with his right hand, twisting it off violently! The movement was quick and fierce, as if he were tearing apart some enemy.

Zhu Biao looked thoughtful: "You mean, the big boss killed someone?"

The little guy nodded hurriedly, nodding his head like a chick pecking at rice.

Zhu Biao asked, "Who did Ye Feng kill?"

I gestured seven with my left hand and one with my right.

Zhu Biao scratched his head and said, "Seven? The Seven Deadly Sins! The Seven Unparalleled Prodigies of Heaven? A sentry killed a celestial official with one of the Seven Deadly Sins?"

The little guy shook one finger on his right hand and shook his head frantically, his little face turning red.

Zhu Biao was speechless. Ye Feng was the same. If you're going to send me a clone, send me one that can talk and write! You sent me a baby! What the hell!

He rubbed his temples, feeling them throbbing.

Zhu Biao could only rely on his own initiative to guess: "Ye Feng didn't just kill one, he killed until only one was left? Wow, Boss Ye is ruthless! He's aiming to wipe out the entire family! The one who's still alive must be the Seven Deadly Sins leader, Greed!"

The little guy started shaking his head frantically again, waving one finger on his right hand, and spinning around in circles in a panic.

Zhu Biao said, "Still not right? So you mean Ye Feng killed the number one leader inside?"

The little guy nodded frantically, his face full of pride! His little mouth opened wide, revealing a few tiny, rice-grain-like baby teeth, and his eyes shone brightly.

Zhu Biao's expression suddenly turned serious.

The smile faded from his eyes inch by inch, replaced by an almost chilling solemnity. He slowly straightened up, stood with his hands behind his back, and his entire aura became heavy.

Ye Feng's move is an important signal for war between the Ming Dynasty and the carbon-based universe.

This means the time has come!

Our strongest force has been deployed to eliminate the opponent's current top combatant!

The enemy general has been beheaded!

A blood sacrifice for the military flag!

Army attack!

He suppressed the burning sensation surging in his chest, but his voice remained as steady as iron hitting the ground.

Zhu Biao patted the little one's head: "Good boy, drink your milk properly, I have to go take care of something!"

The little guy hugged half a bottle of wild dog milk and started drinking it down, his cheeks puffed out, looking completely satisfied.

Zhu Biao turned around, his steps quick, constantly issuing orders. His robes fluttered, his movements were like the wind, and the palace lanterns along the way flickered and swayed in the breeze he created.

"Within five minutes, I want to see all high-ranking officials of the third rank and above in the Grand Council!"

"Anyone who neglects their duties, is absent, or delays will be exiled to prison!"

"Also, notify the Great Ming's Zhen Dan Heavenly Army: fuel in, ship anchor!"

"The Embroidered Uniform Guard has taken over all departments responsible for public opinion, and the Empire has entered a state of total war!"

"Hurry, hurry, hurry!"

With each word he spoke, the messenger behind him would condense magical runes into light and soar into the sky. Streaks of light ripped through the night sky above the capital, like shooting stars falling to earth.

The dormant Ming Empire was suddenly awakened, its war chariots rumbling. Deep within the imperial palace, countless mechanisms and hubs whirred and turned; the sleeping behemoth had finally opened its eyes.

Huaguo Mountain is a blessed land, and beyond the Water Moon Cave is a heavenly realm.

Black sand howled, and the dim yellow sky was stained with gunpowder smoke.

On the desolate plains, countless heavily armored soldiers formed an endless military formation, their spears like a dense forest of steel, their blades gleaming coldly. Iron boots pounded the ground, the armor plates clanging, and a chilling aura rolled across the earth, forming a visible wave of coldness. Banners fluttered, but all was silent; hundreds of thousands of soldiers held their breath, only the gentle clatter of their armor plates in the wind breaking the stillness.

A colossal dragon coiled high in the sky, its massive, azure body blocking out the sunlight. Its whiskers danced wildly, its fangs bared. The dragon's imposing might, heavy as a mountain, pressed down, the wind howled across the wilderness, and the earth seemed to tremble. A monstrous battle intent clashed across the sky, and a chilling aura swept across the land. Banners bearing the black and red characters for "Yanhuang" (the Yellow Emperor's surname) soared into the sky.

The leading general was clad in a dark, ancient-style futuristic battle armor. The armor was form-fitting and sleek, outlining his tall and imposing figure. A simple, ancient longsword hung at his waist, its hilt crackling with electric light.

The flickering electric light reflected off his slightly upturned lips.

A hint of smugness played on his lips as he recalled a fierce pre-battle command meeting that had taken place half an hour earlier.

"I don't care, our Star Legion is the strongest legion, the credit for being the first to charge must go to our legion!"

"If we're talking about individual unit combat effectiveness, the Yanhuang Iron Brigade is the top choice, and we should be the vanguard!"

"Our Starry Sky Guard Legion will also be at the forefront!"

"Lord Qitian, our Crimson Flame Star Navy Legion, Void Conquest Legion, Xuanchen Star Martial Legion, Black Hole Watch Legion, Heretic Harvesting Legion..."

"Stop arguing!" Qi Tian roared, looking around. "Draw lots! Whoever draws the lot goes to be part of the advance team!"

The roar still seemed to echo in our ears, making the air inside the tent freeze.

"I got it! Hahaha! Yanhuang Iron Brigade, First Deployment Team!"

"You bunch of little brothers, just sit back and watch your big brother put on a show! Hahaha!"

"You bastard surnamed He! You're fucking cheating!"

"Who here hasn't died yet! Every single day!"

Thinking of this, He Yanhuang's lips curled up even more. He raised his hand and touched the electric currents crackling on the hilt of his sword. His fingertips tingled slightly, and a surge of smugness rose within him.

Just then, a voice came through the headset, interrupting He Yanhuang's thoughts: "This is Qi Tian. Commander He, your combat mission has been issued. Receive it."

After glancing at the combat mission, He Yanhuang couldn't help but say, "Lord Qitian, this... this isn't right! I should be fighting against the Northern Heavenly Mandate, the Eastern Heavenly Gate, and the Western Heavenly Gate. Why am I the garrison?! What kind of first-mover is this?!"

His smugness froze at the corner of his mouth, cracking inch by inch.

Qi Tian said, "The North Heavenly Gate is a star system, the East Heavenly Gate is a conquering system, and the West Heavenly Gate is a guardian system! Your mission is to protect the blessed land of Flower Fruit Mountain."

He Yanhuang said, "Then, shouldn't I go out and fight?"

Qi Tian said, "The combat mission of the Yanhuang Iron Brigade is to protect Huaguo Mountain. Moreover, only your legion will be responsible for protecting Huaguo Mountain. The other fifty-four legions will be sent to fight in the other fifty-four occupied prefectures and counties of Dongsheng Shenzhou. Some of them will even need to invade the Thirty-Three Heavens! You just need to guard the gate of Huaguo Mountain. I will command the battle with you throughout the entire process."

He Yanhuang sighed, "Alright..."

He gazed at the black and red "Yanhuang" battle flag, its corners fluttering in the wind as if it too were sighing for him.