Supreme Emptiness

Chapter 1964: Chapter 2007: The Final Shield

She suppressed Jiang Fan, originally paving the way for Silver Moon Venerable.

The sages of the Central Earth frowned deeply.

They could not agree, of course!

The Great Wine Sacrifice of Taicang State spoke: "We..."

However, Jiang Fan interrupted him, saying, "It’s fine!"

"I won’t accompany you to the battle!"

The entire audience was in uproar!

To crusade against the Heavenly Realm was a great undertaking in Central Earth, initiated by Jiang Fan, which he was excluded from at the moment of success.

Did he truly not resist?

The Nameless Sage said, "How could this be? If you don’t go, neither will I!"

The other sages and those in the Divinity Transformation Realm also became indignant.

Taking the credit fell upon Jiang Fan, and they could not accept it!

"Everyone!" Jiang Fan took a deep breath and said firmly:

"Please prioritize the bigger picture!"

"Please do not feel unjust for my sake."

"Everything I have done is not for merit."

"I only wish to destroy the Heavenly Realm so that future generations will no longer suffer from the giant’s scourge, and people a millennium from now won’t undergo the tragedies of our generation."

"Now, the Central Earth army is strong and banners unfurl like clouds, their vigor swallowing the mountains and rivers like tigers, and victory is in sight. My personal strength is negligible, and whether I participate or not no longer matters."

"So, I ask you to unite and move forward, all for Central Earth!"

The entire place fell silent.

Be it the Nascent Soul army or the Divinity Transformation Realm, everyone was moved.

Anyone could sacrifice for Central Earth.

But who could, like Jiang Fan, give their wholehearted dedication, have all their honor taken away, and still shout for the greater good, willingly hiding their fame and stepping into the shadows of history?

He truly loved Central Earth and sympathized with the long-enduring suffering of its people.

At this moment, everyone respected him from the bottom of their hearts.

Even more than the sages.

Jiang Fan bowed to them from afar and said, "Central Earth is entrusted to all of you!"

Everyone was completely moved.

Vice Palace Master You’s eyes turned slightly red and said, "For Central Earth, Starfire Venerable exhausted himself."

"We, the cultivators of Central Earth, are not afraid of a battle!"

"Going to the Heavenly Realm, even at the cost of life, I have no regrets!"

Golden Scale Venerate also felt something in his heart, his shoulders trembling, and he looked up laughing:

"Where is the old horse carrying the corpse soul, we’ll never return until the Heavenly Realm is broken!"

"Our Demon Continent, swears to destroy the Heavenly Realm unto death!"

The shout of the two Venerables triggered a loud echoing roar:

"We’ll never return until the Heavenly Realm is broken!!!"

The deafening shout, enough to move the heavens and earth.

The sages of Central Earth were filled with tears and sorrow within their hearts.

The sages from beyond were also deeply shocked.

"This... what kind of madness... no, what kind of noble ideal does this world hold?"

"From the age of utmost prosperity, back to the wasteland, Central Earth still retains such people."

"Central Earth... its legacy remains unbroken."

Even the Phoenix Dynasty Great Sage was shaken by this.

This era’s Central Earth was even more idealistic and vibrant than the era a thousand years ago.

In a haze, she dreamed back a thousand years.

Her surroundings filled with faces of old friends, all passionately devoted to Central Earth, talking and laughing, envisioning the future of Central Earth, imagining how carefree life would be a thousand years later.

Scenes as vivid as if they were right before her eyes.

She remembered that she once was among them.

She once sacrificed herself wholeheartedly, once stood up for the world’s people.

When did she leave them behind?

Looking again at the silently standing Jiang Fan, her heart ached with a pang.

Wasn’t Jiang Fan, at this moment, her of that time?

But her eyes could no longer accommodate her past self.

She closed her eyes, shook her head lightly, and softly sighed, "I haven’t betrayed my past self."

"It’s just... I have seen the truly grand epoch, I have seen the real heaven."

When she opened her eyes again, clarity and ruthlessness returned to them.

Looking around at the beings of Central Earth, she said coldly, "Central Earth army, follow me to the Heavenly State!"

"From the Heavenly State, we will attack the Heavenly Realm!"

She grasped Silver Moon Venerable, her body turning from solid to ethereal as she left.

The powerful entities from beyond the world immediately followed.

The Great Wine Sacrifice of Taicang State said, "Starfire Venerable, we are off!"

The other eight Great Wine Sacrifices and the sages of Central Earth cupped their hands in salute.

Jiang Fan cupped his hands, "Seniors, take care!"

Golden Scale Venerate and others cupped their hands, "Starfire colleague, we are off as well!"

Jiang Fan cupped his hands again, "Take care!"

This farewell might be their last!

The Nascent Soul army shouted in unison, "Starfire senior, we are off!"

Jiang Fan clasped his fists, "I send my respects to all the soldiers!"

The immense army marched grandly away.

Finally, everyone from the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion simultaneously cupped their hands to bid farewell to Jiang Fan.

Jiang Fan clasped his fists, looking at so many familiar faces, yet he could not find words to say goodbye.

However, Fairy Yun Shang, not wanting to trouble Jiang Fan, resolutely turned and said, "Let’s go, let us all return alive!"

"Not a single one less!"

The people of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion bowed once more and left in succession.

In the vast Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, only Jiang Fan remained, silently watching in the direction of the underground palace.

With the final spatial ripple dissipated, Jiang Fan silently withdrew his gaze.

Then, a calm voice quietly sounded behind him.

"Why didn’t you let us go together?"

A secret chamber opened, and Qing Jiu, along with ten Asura Emperors, walked out.

In the valley of the rear mountain, Little Rou and over a hundred Giant Emperors also gathered.

Jiang Fan looked up at the Cangqiong, murmuring, "I want to leave a shield for them."

Indeed, he was pushed out of the great battle, but that did not mean he intended to stand by idly.

A shield?

Qing Jiu’s eyes flashed, "Worried the battle might change?"

In terms of strength, Central Earth already showed an absolute advantage.

At the sage level, excluding the nine Great Wine Sacrifices and the Phoenix Dynasty Great Sage, Central Earth already had thirty-two sages, while the Southern Heavenly Realm had only twenty-seven.

In the Divinity Transformation Realm, Central Earth had nearly two hundred powerhouses, while the Southern Heavenly Realm also had a couple of hundred.

The Nascent Soul Realm army in Central Earth numbered over ten thousand, whereas the ancient giants of the Southern Heavenly Realm had been reduced to just over a thousand.

This was already a war with great odds of victory.

If nothing unexpected happened, Central Earth would win.

Jiang Fan, with hands behind his back, looked far away, "When the ancient giants invaded Central Earth, they too thought victory certain. And yet?"

"Before the dust settles, victory or defeat cannot be spoken of."

Qing Jiu crossed his arms and said, "So, you plan to take us to the Heavenly Realm? Just in case?"

Jiang Fan nodded, "You are Central Earth’s last strength."

"I need to keep you for the final moment!"

Qing Jiu was unsurprised.

Holding back is Jiang Fan’s consistent style.

"When do we depart?"

Jiang Fan said, "Wait a moment, I have three more things to do, wait for me here."

He took out the Heart of Ten Thousand Earths, sensed with closed eyes, and appeared next to the Forbidden Land the next moment.

The former Forbidden Land of Misfortune was nowhere to be seen.

It was replaced by a large mausoleum centered around the Forbidden Land of Misfortune.

This was the Taicang Mausoleum.

Jiang Fan appeared in front of an ordinary tombstone.

On the stone tablet, the words "Yunyang" were inscribed, with several bouquets of flowers, a few plates of fresh fruit, and some recently burned paper money placed in front.

Leng Qingzhu and Shang Shiqiu knew they were going to the Heavenly Realm, perhaps never to return.

So, they came specifically to pay their respects.

Jiang Fan knelt down, caressing the stone tablet, and softly said:

"I’m sorry, Master Yunyang, this disciple has only come to pay respect today."