A Thousand-Year Journey Through the God of War

The God of War suddenly propped himself up, his meridians aching as if being torn apart. The spiritual energy in his dantian surged chaotically. The vast and boundless Dharma of Heaven and Earth, the roar of the inner demon, the golden light clone and the complaining dragon, and the words of the sun and moon rings in his sea of ​​consciousness were still echoing in his mind, intertwining reality and illusion, like a dream from another world.

Ignoring the excruciating pain all over his body, he reached out and grabbed Xiang'er's slender, cool wrist, his fingertips pressed tightly against her skin, as if afraid that the person in front of him was just a fleeting phantom in a dream. His eyes were filled with lingering fear: "Xiang'er... is it really you? I thought that illusion just now would completely separate us."

Xiang'er was slightly startled by his sudden grip, then her eyes welled up with soft tears. She gently placed her hand on the back of his calloused hand, her fingertips tracing the deep and shallow scars on his palm—the wounds left from fighting her inner demons and activating the Heavenly Martial God's soul a few days ago. She leaned down, closer to the bedside, her delicate features still showing the exhaustion of a sleepless night, the faint dark circles under her eyes clearly visible.

"Of course it was me, it's absolutely true." Xiang'er's voice was soft, with a hint of sobs from surviving a disaster: "You fell from the sky and crashed into the streets outside Xinye City, your life force almost completely cut off, and your soul mostly scattered. The people of the whole city stood around helplessly. When I arrived, your breath was as weak as a candle in the wind. It took me three whole hours of acupuncture and the thousand-year-old healing herbs I always carry with me to barely stabilize your soul foundation."

As she spoke, she moved aside to move a bowl of medicine that sat to the side. The bowl contained a thick, warm, pale blue medicinal soup, its aroma clear and lingering, mixed with a faint spiritual energy. Xiang'er picked up a silver spoon, scooped up a spoonful, blew on it to cool it, and then held it to his lips: "Quickly drink the healing medicine. You forced yourself to fully open your Heavenly Martial Arts Soul, and your physical body simply couldn't withstand that immense power. Your soul has been severely damaged, and if you're not careful, you'll suffer permanent amnesia, or even your soul will be scattered. Just now, when you were unconscious, you kept muttering in your sleep, talking about Changban Slope, your inner demons, and something about the Qilin Holy Body and the complaining dragon. It made my heart clench."

The God of War obediently opened his mouth and drank the medicinal soup. The warm medicinal power flowed down his throat and into his limbs, slightly calming the restless spiritual energy within him. His gaze never left Xiang'er for a moment, carefully examining her haggard appearance. A deep sense of guilt surged in his heart. He raised his hand and gently stroked her haggard cheek: "I've wronged you, making you worry about me. Just now, I heard many past events in my sea of ​​consciousness, knowing that the road ahead is fraught with danger. The Battle of Changban was full of blood and tears, and the cataclysm of chaos and the reorganization of the universe weighs on my shoulders. But the only thing I can't let go of in my heart is you."

Upon hearing this, Xiang'er's eyelashes trembled slightly, and she leaned against his palm, tears finally welling up in her eyes: "I traveled across a thousand years to come to you, never so that you would bear all the calamities alone. Whether it is your mission or the burden of the War God Temple, I will share it with you. You protect the people of Xinye, and the world, and I will protect you, safeguard your soul and body. No matter what lies ahead, whether it be demons and monsters or a cataclysmic calamity, I will never be separated from you."

The God of War felt a surge of warmth in his heart. Ignoring his aching body, he leaned forward slightly and gently pulled her into his embrace. Xiang'er nestled against his shoulder, the unique killing aura and faint scent of gunpowder emanating from him filling her nostrils. The tension that had gripped her for days finally eased completely. Outside the window, Xinye City was peaceful, all traces of the previous fratricidal violence gone. The soft sounds of people thanking each other and comforting one another echoed through the streets and alleys, indicating that the turmoil caused by their inner demons had subsided.

"Just now, in my sea of ​​consciousness, I saw the figure of my soul from another time and space, the God of War, as well as the Complaining Dragon and the Sun and Moon Twin Rings. They told me about the tragic end at Changban Slope, saying that I should have died on the battlefield, and that it was only thanks to the Sun and Moon Twin Rings sacrificing their lives to protect me that I was able to preserve a wisp of my soul, which is why my memories are fragmented." The God of War slowly recounted what he had seen in his sea of ​​consciousness, his fingertips gently stroking Xiang'er's long hair: "The Complaining Dragon was still talking about Xiaoxue, and the Sun and Moon Twin Rings seemed to be seriously injured, telling me to go find Brother Ying to find answers. Before I could finish recounting the whole story, I suddenly fell and woke up."

Xiang'er listened quietly, then gently pressed several acupoints on the back of his neck to soothe the dizziness caused by the shock to his soul. She frowned slightly and pondered for a moment: "It turns out that it was because I used silver needles to pull you back from your dream that you were disturbed from continuing to glimpse the secrets of the future. Since the Sun and Moon Twin Rings sacrificed themselves to block the Demon Queen's fatal blow, the damage must have been immeasurable. Although the Complaining Dragon loves to complain, it helped you deliver a powerful blow at the crucial moment, thus turning the tide. As for the outcome of Changban Slope... you don't need to wallow in sorrow alone. Now that the inner demons have been eliminated and Xinye is safe, we still have enough time to plan. We may still be able to reverse the predetermined tragedy."

She straightened up and took out three lustrous calming jade talismans from her brocade box. She placed them on the forehead, chest, and dantian of the God of War, allowing the gentle spiritual energy to slowly seep into his body and soothe his restless and damaged soul.

"You just forcibly activated the Law of Heaven and Earth, causing your cultivation to plummet. You absolutely must not forcefully use the power of the God of War again. I will administer acupuncture to you daily for the next few days to strengthen your foundation. Once your soul is stable, we can carefully analyze the cause and effect of the events at Changban Slope and discuss countermeasures with Brother Ying." Xiang'er's eyes shone with a firm yet gentle light: "I possess medical skills from a thousand years in the future, capable of repairing your soul injury; you possess the Qilin Sacred Body and the power of the Heavenly Martial God of War, protecting the peace of the world. With the two of us working together, there is no difficulty we cannot overcome."

Looking into her smiling eyes, the God of War felt all the confusion and heaviness he had felt upon hearing of the apocalyptic catastrophe and the crushing defeat on the battlefield vanish. Compared to the grand calamity of the chaos being reborn and the universe being overturned, the woman in his arms who had traveled across a thousand years to be with him was his only source of confidence and refuge.

He raised his hand to wipe away the remaining tear stains on Xiang'er's cheek, a relieved and gentle smile appearing on his lips: "With you by my side, I have no fear of any danger ahead. Once I recover from my injuries, I will protect you, protect everyone in the Temple of War, protect Xinye, protect this entire space-time, and never let the predetermined tragedy unfold."

Xiang'er nodded gently, scooped up another spoonful of medicine and handed it to him. Sunlight streamed through the window, falling on the two of them and dispelling the chilling stillness brought by their inner demons. The whispers of the peaceful and prosperous people outside the city reached their ears, and the room was filled with the lingering fragrance of medicine. The bond that had transcended a thousand years was now firmly entwined in the tranquility after the calamity, with no longer a trace of fear of separation.

Suddenly, a commotion arose outside the door, growing louder as it approached. A group of people rushed to the God of War's bedside. These were the brothers and sisters of the Temple of War who had fought alongside their lord Liu Bei against the demons and spirits of Futu Island outside Xinye City and returned to provide support. They said with concern, "Guild Leader, you're finally awake! These past few days have felt like an eternity!" Looking at their sincere faces, the God of War felt a surge of warmth in his heart. The deep brotherhood within the Temple of War filled him, as its leader, with immense comfort.

"Everyone, please be quiet. Guild Master Dou Shen has just woken up and is still a bit weak." A young man with sword-like eyebrows and bright eyes, and a handsome face, continued, "Guild Master Dou Shen single-handedly fought against numerous demons and undead legions from Futu Island, protecting the safety of the entire Xinye City. Our lord Liu Bei received the news of Guild Master Dou Shen's awakening and is already on his way to the War God Temple's residence." After hearing Wushuang's words, everyone found chairs in Dou Shen's room and sat down, allowing Dou Shen to get a short rest. He glanced at Wushuang with slight gratitude, and the shattered memories of his dream flooded back like a tidal wave, each scene of horrific carnage clear and piercing.

The East China Sea is raging, its waves stretching for thousands of miles.

He led the elite troops of the War God Temple, traveling day and night, crossing the sea to rush to Changban. All of them were determined to die, wanting to use the blades of the War God Temple to block Cao Cao's iron cavalry, protect Xuande's army and civilians, and use their youthful pride to turn the tide of chaos.

Only when you actually step onto the battlefield do you realize what hell on earth is like.

Dark clouds pressed down on the ground, and a fierce wind covered the sky.

Hidden within Cao Cao's army are the demons and spirits of Futu Island, whose magic can cleave the earth and split rivers, their supernatural powers overwhelming ordinary soldiers; moreover, cannibalistic demons roam the wilderness, slaughtering refugees and remnants of the army, their malevolent aura enveloping the entire Changban wasteland.

Human cavalry and weapons are utterly powerless against demonic magic and supernatural powers.

The entire War God Temple guild fought to the death, not one retreating. Every member used their mortal body to resist demonic magic and their flesh to block the demon's blade. The blood of these young men was spilled on the yellow earth, their unyielding spirit shaking the heavens. One after another, they pressed forward bravely, iron-blooded men who would rather die than surrender.

However, the tide was turning against them, and the will of Heaven was hard to defy.

Seeing innocent civilians lying in pools of blood, seeing his brothers-in-arms fall one after another, with corpses scattered everywhere and cries of grief echoing across the land, the God of War's eyes turned bloodshot, and he could no longer suppress the rage in his heart.

Ignoring the disadvantages of the battle and disregarding the burden on his soul, he forcibly pushed his original limit and used the ultimate divine power that the complaining dragon had kept hidden to unleash, killing four cannibalistic demons with a single blow and repelling all the evil spirits in the way ahead.

But the price for this earth-shattering blow was incredibly heavy.

Its own essence is almost exhausted, and its body is full of flaws.

The demon queen, lurking in the shadows, seized her opportunity to strike. Her demonic energy condensed into a deadly blow, piercing through countless battle formations and striking directly at the very foundation of his soul!

In the blink of an eye, the sun and moon rings shone brightly, merging into one to protect their master from disaster.

The terrifying demonic power was entirely withstood by the magic weapon, causing it to shatter, dissipate its spiritual energy, and nearly be completely extinguished.

He suffered severe damage to his soul, his life force was cut off, and he fell to the ground on the spot. His consciousness sank, his memories were shattered, and he fell into an endless dream of reality and illusion, lingering on the edge of life and death for a long time.

"Brothers and sisters..."

The God of War was weak, and his meridians were tearing with pain. He murmured softly, his eyes reddening, and his heart ached as if it were being ripped apart.

Those comrades who drank strong liquor together and fought side by side, those spirited young heroes with the world in their hearts, all perished at Changban, lost in the chaotic game of life.

The bloody battle to become a god was also a bloody and tearful burial of souls.