The Last Sentinel

"The Supreme Being has calculated that he will not die."

"But the Supreme Being did not foresee that he would suffer more than death."

"The Supreme Being's benevolent self has finally stood on the opposite side of the Heavenly Court."

The Forbidden City of the Ming Dynasty, the Grand Council.

Night had fallen, and the palace was brightly lit. The sound of the water clock dripping was particularly clear in the silence.

Zhu Biao stood with his hands behind his back, his gaze piercing through the semi-transparent holographic screen, fixed on the last silhouette of the Supreme Good Corpse. His fingertips unconsciously caressed the jade pendant at his waist. After a long while, he smiled leisurely: "It seems the Heavenly Laws weren't truly obtained by the new Heavenly Court back then; otherwise, this Supreme's divination wouldn't be incomplete."

Zhu Biao spoke very softly, yet the air in the hall seemed to freeze for a moment.

Yan Shifan lowered his eyes and said respectfully, "Your Highness means that if the Heavenly Laws are complete, the divination will let the Supreme Lord know today's outcome."

He spoke respectfully, but his peripheral vision quickly swept over the light screen—the meaning of the incomplete hexagram was self-evident.

Zhu Biao turned around, glanced at Yan Shifan, and smiled without saying a word. That smile, in Yan Shifan's eyes, was more profound than any words.

Zhang Juzheng spoke up: "Your Highness's meaning is very clear. If the divination was complete, Taishang would not have appeared in this battle. In fact, Taishang's true form has lost control over the entire dimensional war. Taishang's benevolent corpse has directly rebelled, which is equivalent to the collapse of the Heavenly Court represented by the Three Pure Ones."

"Well said." Zhu Biao laughed, "Zhang the Prodigy truly deserves to be the Hanlin Academy's chief scholar with the highest level of brain development in the Ming Dynasty."

Zhang Juzheng respectfully replied, "I dare not accept such praise. The one with the highest level of brain development in the Ming Dynasty is none other than the martial arts legend, Sentinel Ye Feng. How could I possibly be worthy of such recognition?"

He spoke modestly, but his fingertips subtly adjusted his sleeve. That subtle movement did not escape the notice of any eye in the hall.

Yan Shifan said, "Ye Feng, is he even human? He is a dragon. In terms of human beings, Zhang Shentong is undoubtedly the best. He is a carbon-based life form with the best brain, and his overall brain development even surpasses Qi Tian's. Qi Tian is only outstanding in science."

Just then, hurried footsteps came from outside the door.

The footsteps were rapid and hurried, like a sudden downpour pattering on the eaves. Yu Huatian, dressed in the moon-white robes of a commander of the Imperial Guards, strode into the pavilion, his robes billowing in the wind. He knelt on one knee, his armor striking the ground with a voice as clear as metal: "Your Highness, the First Army Group of the Zhen Dan Empire has completed its assembly and is ready to depart at any time!"

"Very well!" Zhu Biao waved his sleeve, full of vigor: "My dear ministers, follow me to the training ground to send off the First Legion!"

"promise!"

"yes!"

Zhang Juzheng and Yan Shifan followed behind, exchanging glances.

Zhang Juzheng cupped his hands and smiled, "Thank you for your kind words, young Grand Secretary."

Yan Shifan said calmly, "To be frank, your brain development intensity does surpass Qi Tian's. However, Qi Tian is pursuing a science-based path, while you are pursuing a multi-dimensional brain. In terms of scale, Qi Tian is indeed higher than you, but in terms of breadth and depth, Qi Tian cannot compare to you."

Zhang Juzheng said, "But if I were to compare myself to Ye Feng, I would be inviting humiliation."

Yan Shifan rolled his eyes at Zhang Juzheng: "Even if you have supernatural powers, you're still within the realm of humans. Ye Feng isn't even human, so what are you comparing yourself to a non-human being?"

Zhang Juzheng leaned closer and asked, "Speaking of which, young Grand Secretary, have you ever seen this Zhen Dan Empire?"

"I've never seen this before," Yan Shifan said. "This is the first time I've heard of it."

Zhang Juzheng said, "No, the young Grand Secretary is a high-ranking official in the court. You haven't met him, but hasn't your father, Grand Secretary Yan, met him?"

Yan Shifan shook his head and said, "No, I've uncovered all of my father's secrets. He never mentioned the Zhen Dan Empire, or even the Zhen Dan Project."

His right hand, which was holding a folding fan, paused, the fan ribs tapping against his palm with a soft sound. This secret, which even his own father hadn't missed a single word about, carried considerable weight.

"This is interesting." Zhang Juzheng said, resting his chin on his hand. "I first heard the name 'Zhendan Empire' from some guys in the Warhammer universe. It's rumored that the mysterious Great Xia civilization is building a super empire that has never existed before, a deep shadow nation called Zhendan. But no one here has ever mentioned it. Now, suddenly, they're telling me that the Zhendan Empire has been built. To be honest, I find it very abrupt."

Yan Shifan said, "Alright, that's enough talk!"

The two quickened their pace and followed Zhu Biao and the others into a huge, fully enclosed underground base.

Yu Huatian, the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, stepped forward: "My lords! Excuse me, we need to follow the proper procedures."

Zhang Juzheng and Yan Shifan stood at attention, and the local Imperial Guards conducted a thorough inspection behind them before the gates slowly opened.

The conference room is a high-end holographic 4D projection conference room of Daming. The space inside is very large, at least the size of a football field, but there are very few people inside. Including Zhu Biao, there are only three people.

A dome of light hung overhead like a canopy, with points of light swirling like a sea of ​​stars. The other two were also familiar faces: one was Li Wenzhong, the military genius of the Ming Dynasty, and the other was Hu Zongxian, the veteran general of the Ming Dynasty.

The four were old acquaintances. They exchanged a glance, smiled slightly, and took their seats. It was a tacit understanding only found among veterans—no questions asked, only the present moment mattered.

On the stage, Zhu Biao looked around at the four people and said, "It seems that some of you know very little about the Aurora Project. Uncle, why don't you explain it to them?"

Li Wenzhong stood up and looked at Yan Shifan and the other two: "The Zhen Dan Project was proposed very early. The first to propose this project was not the Ming Dynasty, but the Tang Dynasty."

Hu Zongxian asked curiously, "The Tang Dynasty? There are written records about it?"

"Of course!" Li Wenzhong said, "During the Tang Dynasty, Buddhism flourished. Emperor Taizong of Tang invited the eminent monk Tang Sanzang to preach in Chang'an. The Buddhist canon, the 'Buddha's Discourse on the Consecration Sutra' (Volume 6), records that there was a country called Zhen Dan within Jambudvipa."

He paused, his gaze slowly sweeping over the people present.

"This is the first documented record of Aurora's work that can be traced."

"The Tang Dynasty learned of the existence of China, but the Heavenly Khan was nearing his end and was unable to activate the barrier, so he left the China Realm behind. The subsequent Great Xia Dynasty inherited and built some of it. It was not until the Ming Dynasty that the China Empire welcomed its true Mandate of Heaven."

"After Emperor Chengzu invited the emperor to quell the rebellion, Emperor Yunwen entered China and became the only true dragon of the China Empire, which ushered in a new stage of development."

"During this period, the Aurora Empire disguised itself as a Space Marine legion from the Warhammer universe and joined the wars in the Warhammer universe many times, gaining a considerable amount of technology and cultivation points."

"Later, Ye Feng entered the Hanlin Academy. With Ye Feng's guidance, Emperor Yunwen of the Zhen Dan Empire broke through his strength and obtained the supernatural power of 'Ancient People Before Us'. The Zhen Dan Empire began to expand and transform into a war machine."

"Everyone knows that the Advanced Martial Arts Academy consumes a huge amount of resources, but what I want to tell you is that 99% of the resources consumed by the Advanced Martial Arts Academy are used for the Zhen Dan Empire. In other words, the entire carbon-based universe is nurturing this giant dragon, the Zhen Dan Empire!"

After he finished speaking, there was a brief silence in the conference room.

Everyone was stunned upon hearing this.

Wow, what a huge melon!

No, are all the Zhu family members really that good at holding back?

You really don't have the surname Zhu, and you don't reveal a single word to outsiders!

We only found out about such a big secret now!

Even the usually composed Hu Zongxian narrowed his eyes slightly.

Yan Shifan rubbed his temples and asked, "Your Highness, does Ye Feng know about this?"

"Of course." Zhu Biao, sitting in the head seat, said quite frankly, "Not only did he know, but he also participated in the construction of the Zhen Dan Empire. After all, nephew Yunwen was able to learn Ye Feng's 'There are predecessors before him,' so nephew Yunwen is in fact half a disciple of Ye Feng. How could a master not know about his disciple's little affairs?"

He spoke casually, as if discussing a trivial matter. Zhang Juzheng was about to speak when Yu Huatian said from the side, "Your Highness, it's almost time. The oath-taking ceremony should begin. Let's teleport!"

"good!"

A five-colored halo emanated from everyone, rising like dust. Even their breath was shattered by the light, and when they opened their eyes again, the world had changed.

At this moment, Zhang Juzheng exclaimed in surprise, "Isn't this the four-dimensional combat room? How come there's a teleportation system here?"

"Who told you this is four-dimensional?" Li Wenzhong said, "This is the Empire's most cutting-edge five-dimensional projection technology!"

Zhang Juzheng said, "Five dimensions? This is the mark of a level five civilization! Virtual-to-real transmission, particle true form! Compared to four-dimensional virtual video, five-dimensional can transmit at the same frequency and return to its original location at any time! Rather than calling this a tangible technology, it's more accurate to call it a space-domain teleportation technology!"

His tone was unusually excited—he had seen countless technologies, but this was the first time he had seen space itself folded into a door.

"That's right," Li Wenzhong said. "The empire is developing much faster than you all imagine. To put it bluntly, if Ye Feng were to break through to the sixth-tier cosmic warrior right now, it wouldn't affect his ability to return home."

Yan Shifan said, "I reckon my disciple isn't very interested in pursuing single-dimensional cultivation along the Y-axis anymore. It's hard to say what he's researching now."

Looking at Yan Shifan, everyone felt an urge to crush him.

If Ye Feng becomes your apprentice, aren't you just standing on everyone's head and shitting?

The problem now is that you really have no way to deal with Yan Shifan. You can only blame yourself for not having foresight back then. The young Grand Secretary was bold and meticulous, and took the initiative to bet on Ye Feng, becoming an important obstacle for Ye Feng!

Before the words were finished, a faint light enveloped the group, and they vanished.

Soon, the light and shadows shifted before the four of them, revealing a battlefield scene with flames rising in the sunset.

The moment my feet touched solid ground, a wave of heat hit me, carrying the smell of iron and fire.

This is the imperial sky of the Zhen Dan Barrier, where the setting sun's fiery light has been turned bronze by the burning of 100,000 blood lamps.

Above the clouds, a thousand-foot-long black dragon coiled like a mountain range, its scales flowing with dark blue spiritual energy patterns. When it opened its eyes, two cold suns appeared. It lowered its head and let out a long roar towards the imperial city. The sound wave overwhelmed the entire training ground, and 100,000 armored soldiers simultaneously raised their arms, their weapons clashing with a sound like a booming bell.

Banners fluttered in the wind, and Zhu Biao stood atop the Dragon Platform.

A gust of wind swept in from the far end of the training ground, lifting the dark cloak behind his armor. He wore no crown, only a black iron hairpin binding his hair, and was clad in black and gold armor—nano-spirit patterns embedded between the armor plates, flickering like a galaxy with his breath. Beneath his feet lay the entire capital city, and behind him, twelve floating teleportation portals lit up in succession, each holding a Skyship battleship. The plasma main cannons on their bows slowly charged, blue light surging up the barrels like a tide. In the distance, where the cannons pointed, the outlines of enemy troops were faintly visible in the glow of the blood lamps.

"Gentlemen—" Zhu Biao began, his voice not loud, but it traveled for miles thanks to the psionic amplification array, and the training ground fell into a sudden silence.

The wind stopped for a moment, and 100,000 gazes fell on the Dragon Platform at the same time.

"Our nation of China has existed for three thousand years, and we have never knelt down to beg for peace." He raised his hand, and a holographic screen popped out from his fingertip, reflecting the outline of the enemy army. "Today's battle is not for territory, but so that future generations can still see this dragon flag."

As soon as the words were spoken, the second and third Xuanlong emerged from the sea of ​​clouds in the sky. The red dragon held the sun in its mouth, the green dragon was wrapped in lightning, and the five-colored divine dragons danced around the city. Wherever their tails swept, the clouds shattered, and golden spiritual flames rained down like a shower of flowers.

On the left wing, Li Wenzhong stands with his horse reined in.

He was clad in gleaming iron armor, its surface etched with the ancient oaths of the Hongwu Emperor. In his hand lay a long, magnetically-guided spear, its tip shrouded in fine arcs of electricity. He glanced back at the hundred thousand iron cavalry behind him—not horses, but mechanical war beasts covered in dragon scales, their jaws spewing forth a roar of liquid flames. Li Wenzhong slowly raised his spear, uttering each word with deliberation: "His Highness has ordered—on the front lines, only advance, no retreat."

Wherever the spear pointed, 100,000 war beasts raised their heads in unison, roaring like thunder.

On the right wing, Zhang Juzheng placed his piece on the astronomical platform.

Before him lay a holographic battlefield sand table rendered in light, with every detail of mountains and rivers meticulously displayed. He picked up a chess piece and gently placed it in the heart of the enemy's territory, saying softly, "This battle is not about the number of troops, but about accurately calculating where their battle core is." Before his words even finished, three thousand projection lines appeared on the sand table, winding towards the enemy like a spider web. These rays of light seemed alive, traversing the undulating mountains and rivers, reaching straight to the heart of the enemy formation.

Yan Shifan stood before the armory, squinting at the Ministry of Works' dragon boat carrying psionic ammunition. In the shadows behind him, thousands of ammunition boxes were piled up like a small mountain, each box branded with the Ministry of Works' sealing wax. He sneered, fanning himself with a folding fan: "The weapons are good weapons, but if the supply lines are cut off, even the hardest iron won't last three days."

After speaking, the young Grand Secretary turned and slipped a secret letter into the talons of the falcon's iron wings—it contained information about the supply route to the southern granaries. He spoke of weapons and provisions, but in his heart, he knew—this battle had been decided from the day Ye Feng entered the Hanlin Academy. The falcon took flight, disappearing into the sea of ​​clouds in the blink of an eye, like a black shooting star.

At sea, Hu Zongxian stood on the dragon head of the flagship.

The old warship had been replaced by a massive black iron vessel, with nine dragon-saliva cannons embedded on each side. Where the cannons pointed, the seawater froze and a cold mist rose. He stroked the bronze sea beast on the bow and said calmly, "On land there are divine dragons, and on the sea there is me. If the enemy dares to cross the sea, I will make sure they don't even see a wave." Behind him, the entire sea surface was flattened, like a piece of polished black iron.

Zhu Biao looked at everything before him and suddenly smiled.

That smile held the essence of mountains and rivers, and three thousand years of history. But if you got close enough, you would see a fleeting trace of weariness deep in his eyes, a weariness that no outsider had ever seen before.

He raised his right hand, and a dragon-patterned jade seal floated in his palm—it wasn't jade, but a crystal core condensed from the soul of an ancient dragon.

The crystal core exploded, and a beam of golden light shot into the sky.

In the golden light, the five-colored divine dragons coiled and merged into one, transforming into a ten-thousand-foot-long golden dragon. The golden dragon roared to the sky, causing the heavens to tremble and the sea of ​​clouds to churn like boiling water.

One hundred thousand armored soldiers knelt down simultaneously, shouting in unison:

"May Your Highness live ten thousand years—May China live ten thousand years—"

The sound waves collided with the dragon's long roar, and only one sound remained between heaven and earth.

The direction the dragon flag points is the direction of the empire.