National Guardian's Gone and We're Done

Chapter 285 - 284: Such Pure, Warm Power

’What pure, warm power!’

Watching the situation unfold from his hotel room, Chu He couldn’t help but marvel.

’He had rarely felt such power before. He doubted even an Evil Spirit could fake it.’

’Could it be that the power cultivated by those monks from the Great Western Heaven also came from some kind of ancient heritage?’

’After all, Blue Star was vast; it was understandable that some ancient legacies might be scattered about.’

However, judging by the spectacular display of that monk’s attack,

he must have already reached a profound level of cultivation.

Above the brilliantly lit Luxury Hotel, an unimaginably huge golden palm was quietly taking shape.

It was so massive that it rivaled the giant, floating head in the night sky, which emanated an ominous aura.

The palm looked like that of an ancient deity, shining with a brilliant golden light. Every ray contained the power of purification and judgment.

The massive head hung under the dark canopy of the sky, a strange, cold grin spreading across its hideous face—a glee that defied reason and was utterly terrifying.

As the golden palm drew closer, this glee gradually transformed into intense alarm and unease.

The grin on the head twisted further, and malice spilled out as if it were a tangible substance, capable of tearing the very air.

Suddenly, the massive head began to tremble uncontrollably.

It was a shudder that originated from the depths of its soul, a helpless resistance against its impending doom.

The golden palm ignored all obstacles, smashing down with the force of a thunderbolt at a mind-boggling speed.

In an instant, a tide of golden radiance surged forth, dyeing the entire night sky a dazzling gold.

Within that light was the power to purify all things. Wherever it passed, all evil and filth dissolved.

Against this unstoppable force, the massive head’s defenses crumbled in an instant, as if they were made of paper.

Its enormous form twisted and warped in the golden light,

before finally turning into a cloud of dust that scattered on the wind, vanishing without a trace.

The eerie, unsettling grin that had once been so terrifying was also annihilated in the darkness, as if it had never existed.

Immediately after, an even more shocking scene unfolded before everyone’s eyes.

The normal-sized heads that had been floating in the air lost their support. Like kites with their strings cut, they plummeted to the ground one by one, making dull, sickening thuds.

The moment they hit the ground, the heads burst apart into a gory mess of flesh and blood.

The expressions on their faces swiftly changed from eerie grins to despair, agony, numbness, and collapse.

It was the truest reflection of life’s final moments, a stark and chilling contrast to their previous false smiles.

On the ground, flowers of blood bloomed where the heads had landed, vibrant and jarring. They were completely out of place with the surrounding luxury, creating a grotesque and terrifying atmosphere.

The thick stench of blood and death filled the air, sending an involuntary chill through everyone who witnessed the scene.

The atmosphere inside the Luxury Hotel fell completely silent.

Even though the bizarre situation had been resolved, no one dared to step outside.

No one knew what it was really like out there, or if the danger was truly gone.

Just then, a door to one of the Luxury Hotel’s rooms was pushed open. A monk emerged, dressed in kasaya robes, with his palms pressed together and a string of Buddha Beads draped over his fingers.

The monk had a kind and compassionate face. As he walked out, the doors to the surrounding rooms were also pushed open one by one, and other monks emerged.

These monks had all been brought by him to participate in the Martial Arts Academy tournament hosted by the Lighthouse Empire.

"What a pity. These were all vibrant lives.

They must have come to the Black Continent Grassland seeking wealth, hoping to change their own lives and the lives of their families and loved ones.

They never expected to die here, their bodies left incomplete.

It is a shame I did not arrive on the Black Continent Grassland sooner.

Otherwise, I might have had a chance to save them from this sea of suffering. Amitabha Buddha.

Now, I will lead the other monks in a rite to guide the souls of the deceased."

The kind-faced monk and the others leaped directly down from the upper floor, landing steadily on the ground.

Then, they sat down cross-legged beside the gory remains of the heads on the ground.

"All conditioned phenomena are like a dream, an illusion, a bubble, a shadow. Like dew or a flash of lightning; thus we shall perceive them."

"If you wish to understand all the Buddhas of the three ages, you should contemplate the nature of the Dharma-realm: everything is made from mind alone."

"All compounded things are impermanent, subject to birth and death. When birth and death are extinguished, the quiet stillness of nirvana is realized."

...

In that solemn and tranquil moment,

all the monks seemed to be guided by a single force. Their voices merged into an irresistible torrent, the ancient scriptures flowing from their lips.

These scriptures were no longer a mere collection of words.

They transformed into rays of golden light, like the gentlest first rays of dawn piercing the veil of night.

Delicate and exquisite golden characters slowly gathered in the air. They swayed gently as if alive,

like fireflies twinkling in a summer forest or fallen leaves drifting on an autumn lake,

eventually converging into a resplendent ocean of light.

Within this ocean of light, they began to dance gracefully,

with a rhythm that transcended the mortal world, circling the unresting heads on the ground and cloaking them in a golden shroud.

Above the heads, the golden light crisscrossed. Each ray was like a fine brush,

sketching intricate patterns on their surfaces.

Bathed in this light, the once-rigid, lifeless faces seemed to slowly change. Their features grew distinct, and for a moment, the souls of the departed were briefly revived.

Their faces showed a reluctance to leave the mortal world and a fear of the unknown, but most of all, a deep, inexpressible unwillingness to part.

Around the Luxury Hotel, the crowd stood in silence, each person’s eyes reflecting the incredible scene.

Their faces showed surprise, sorrow, and even more so, a complex emotion that was hard to name.

For the more emotional onlookers, tears welled in their eyes before they could be held back, sliding down to drip onto the cold ground and merging with the sorrowful tableau of farewell.

Bathed in the golden light, the deceased seemed to be making their final goodbyes.

Their eyes were filled with a reluctance to leave their families, their lovers, their friends, and this world.

All the words they wanted to say, all the emotions they wanted to express, were concentrated in that final gaze.

However, the wheel of fate rolls ever forward, and ultimately, they could not escape the cycle of life and death.

Finally, enveloped in the golden light, all the heads slowly dissipated, fading into nothingness.

They took with them all their pain, fear, and reluctance, along with the endless mourning of those who watched.

The sound of sobbing in the crowd gradually subsided, but the heavy mood lingered, difficult to shake off.

In that moment, the boundary between life and death blurred, and everyone became immersed in deep contemplation of life,

of death, and of love.

"I’d like to ask, where exactly are they ’guided’ to?"

Chu He’s voice drifted over from the hallway.