National Guardian's Gone and We're Done

...it would be a colossal disaster for both your Lighthouse Empire and our Buddha Country.”

After speaking these final words, Tota Arhat’s body began to disintegrate and melt away like snow and ice. His form dissolved into wisps of faint light that were slowly drawn into the Seven-Colored Pagoda.

In that instant, the Seven-Colored Pagoda was infused with endless energy and erupted in an incomparably brilliant seven-colored light.

The light was as intense as seven dazzling bolts of lightning striking at once,

and like a magnificent rainbow descending upon this land that was once filled with terror and chilling cold.

The Seven-Colored Pagoda slowly rose, ascending toward the sky.

It hovered high in the air, casting down a splendid, seven-colored radiance.

This light spread out rapidly, enveloping the entire surrounding area.

The once gloomy and terrifying Demon Cave was now breathtakingly beautiful, transformed into a fantastical world.

The seven-colored brilliance permeated every inch of space, cloaking the land in a magnificent and mysterious veneer.

Under the illumination of the seven-colored light, everything around them became dreamlike and illusory.

The surfaces of the rocks were dyed with vibrant colors, as if they had been turned into exquisite works of art.

The pervasive mist was pierced by the light, refracting it into multicolored halos, like clusters of drifting, colored clouds.

And at the center of this light, a powerful and mysterious force lay hidden.

Beckett and Guerrero stood to the side, witnessing all of this with mixed emotions.

They knew Tota Arhat had sacrificed his life to buy them this opportunity, a sacrifice that moved them deeply while also placing immense pressure upon them.

Beckett gripped the Scepter in his hand so tightly that his knuckles turned white. His eyes shone with firmness and resolve. ”Guerrero, we cannot let Tota Arhat’s sacrifice be in vain. We must make use of these precious five minutes.”

Guerrero nodded slightly, his gaze fixed on the Pagoda radiating the seven-colored light. ”That’s right,” he said. ”This is our last chance. We have to give it our all. If Chu He escapes, the consequences will be unimaginable.”

Meanwhile, Chu He stood not far away. Though he could feel the immense power being released by the Seven-Colored Pagoda, a confident smile still hung on his lips.

”Hmph. You think you can trap me with a petty trick like this? You’re far too naive,”

Chu He said in a low voice, his words sounding exceptionally clear beneath the shroud of the seven-colored light.

Within the domain of the Seven-Colored Pagoda, time seemed to slow to a crawl.

Every second carried the weight of Tota Arhat’s sacrifice, as well as the hope and determination of Beckett and Guerrero.

They knew well that these five minutes would decide the fate of the Lighthouse Empire, the Buddha Country, and perhaps the entire world.

In the gloomy, oppressive atmosphere of the Demon Cave, Beckett and Guerrero realized there was no longer any room for retreat.

If they held anything back now, the only outcome awaiting them was death.

The two exchanged a look, a flash of determination in their eyes, and immediately struck strange poses.

They stood straight with their legs together, their arms slowly spreading wide, like devout believers offering a sacrifice to an unknown power.

Then, their lips parted, and they began to chant, their voices low and solemn. ”Love is patient, love is kind.

It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking.

It is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.

It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Love never fails.”

As this sacred and ancient prayer echoed through the air, a bizarre transformation quietly began to overtake them.

Beckett and Guerrero’s bodies began to age at an astonishing rate, as if mercilessly torn by the claws of time.

First, the radiance on their faces rapidly faded. Their once vibrant skin grew slack, and wrinkles spread like a dense spiderweb.

Their once-firm skin became wrinkled and creased, like weathered tree bark, losing all its elasticity and vitality.

Their hair was not spared. Their once-thick, black hair instantly turned gray and white, as if struck by a sudden frost.

White hairs fell like snowflakes, scattering onto their shoulders and the ground, as if narrating the fading of life.

In just a few moments, they had aged from vigorous men in their thirties and forties to decrepit old men in their eighties or nineties, on the verge of death.

Their bodies were stooped and gaunt, as if a gentle breeze could blow them over. They looked as if they might step into their coffins and rest in peace at any second.

Although their bodies trembled violently, like candles flickering in a gale, they stubbornly maintained their cross-like poses.

It was as if a powerful, invisible Cross bound them from behind, preventing them from breaking their predetermined posture.

Just then, the Twelve-winged Angel, which had previously shown no signs of life, suddenly erupted with a dazzling, brilliant light.

The light was like a supernova, instantly illuminating the entire Demon Cave and sweeping away all surrounding darkness.

Around its twelve holy, feathered wings, light surged as several new wings slowly began to sprout.

These newborn wings were slender as shoots at first, but they grew and unfurled rapidly, becoming full and powerful.

Every feather shimmered with a soft light, as if inlaid with fine stardust.

Before long, the Twelve-winged Angel had transformed into a mighty being with eighteen wings.

Simultaneously, a soft white glow washed over the Angel’s body as a suit of flawless white armor gradually materialized, fitting it perfectly.

The armor had the texture of the purest crystal, yet it possessed the feel and toughness of metal.

Exquisite Runes and patterns were carved upon it, shimmering with a mystical luster as if telling ancient and sacred stories.

Upon the Angel’s head, a magnificent crown slowly descended, settling firmly in place. The crown was inlaid with brilliant gems, each one emitting a unique light. They reflected one another, forming a dreamlike halo.

The Angel was now completely reborn, radiating a suffocating pressure and supreme majesty. Its every slight movement could make space itself tremble.

The surrounding air was compressed by an invisible force, becoming heavy and stagnant.

The dark mist that had filled the Demon Cave rapidly receded like a tide under the impact of this immense power, vanishing without a trace.

As the Angel slowly raised the Holy Sword in its hand, the blade flared with a light as dazzling as the midday sun, making it almost impossible to look at directly.

The Angel swung its arm, bringing the sword down in a ferocious overhead slash.

The power carried by the Holy Sword swept toward Chu He like a raging tsunami, with the force to topple mountains and overturn seas.

In the blink of an eye, this might—containing the power to destroy heaven and earth—was less than half a meter from Chu He.

After the Twelve-winged Angel transformed into the Eighteen-winged Angel, its power had increased exponentially.

This immense power plunged the entire Demon Cave into unprecedented turmoil.

Under the impact of this immense power, the surrounding cavern walls emitted groaning CRACK sounds as fissures spread rapidly like lightning.

Huge chunks of rock broke off the walls, raining down and kicking up clouds of dust.

The ground trembled even more violently, as if a magnitude 10 earthquake was taking place. Massive crevices continuously split open, swallowing everything around them.

Stalactites fell from the ceiling of the Demon Cave, shattering to pieces on the floor.

The once-quiet Demon Cave now resembled a Purgatory in the mortal world, a scene of utter chaos.

The dark mist within the Demon Cave scattered rapidly under the force of this power, like ragged clouds swept away by a gale.

The once-gloomy and terrifying atmosphere was shattered in that instant, replaced by a suffocating and immense pressure.

Chu He stood his ground. As he felt the immense power rushing toward him, the faint hint of a smile played on his lips.