Chapter 356: The Strongest Guardian

【"Are you human or ghost?"】

【In response to your question, Bai Li Ming smiled. "Human."】

【He added another sentence, "A person who should have died, one who shouldn't exist in this world."】

【"What do you mean?" You didn't understand.】

【"We are remnants of an old era, meant to have ended with that age, but for certain reasons, we've lived until now."】

【Bai Li Ming didn't explain further. "You'll find out later."】

【"Alright."】

【You didn't press further. About Jing Tu, about Jing Shi Zhu, about the Guardians—too many secrets were hidden. It was pointless to investigate them one by one.】

【If they didn't want to speak, they naturally had their reasons.】

【You only needed to know that everyone standing here was an ally, a force to counterbalance An Ying Zhu. That was enough.】

【"Let's go! Together to the deepest part, to meet the strongest existence you've always wanted to see." Bai Li Ming led the way for you.】

【"By the way, let me introduce you to the members of our Guardians."】

【Bai Li Ming pointed at a monk draped in a blood-stained monk's robe. "He is San Zang. Like me, he comes from a superpower before the Jing Tu era."】

【"This humble monk greets the benefactor." San Zang pressed his palms together and performed a Buddhist salute.】

【"Amitabha." You returned the greeting in kind, imitating the gesture.】

【The way San Zang looked at you was indeed off, just like Bai Li Ming—as if he had something hidden in his heart.】

【Bai Li Ming then pointed at a one-armed blade-wielder. "This is Mo Sha."】

【Next was a woman with nine tails, likely a Nine-Tailed Fox from before the Jing Tu era, named Bai Miao Miao.】

【There was also a taciturn one called Kun Shiqi.】

【The last one looked at you in an even more indescribable way. His eyes were filled with vicissitudes, and he carried a pair of strange blades on his back.】

【He said his name was Yan Beicheng.】

【These people all came from before the Jing Tu era.】

【The last two, a man and a woman, were both Guardians born after the Jing Tu era. One was named Tantai Ling, and the other was Feng Kui.】

【Compared to those from before the Jing Tu era, they lacked a certain special aura.】

【You couldn't put your finger on what it was, but it was definitely different.】

【Together, you walked toward the deepest part of the Jing Shi Zhu space.】

……

Outside the dream reincarnation, Lin Chuan's main consciousness had long recognized these people.

Especially Yan Beicheng, who was a close friend from a lifetime of interaction in the 【Forbidden Love】 reincarnation.

Now, the answer to the strongest Guardian was on the verge of being revealed.

This was an answer Lin Chuan had considered at the very beginning but later dismissed.

The dream reincarnation had progressed to this point, yet his only linked partner in initiating the dream reincarnation, his daughter Lin Rumeng, still hadn't appeared.

So then…

That strongest Guardian must be his daughter Rumeng.

But why was it said that Rumeng was born after the Jing Tu era?

Lin Chuan couldn't figure it out.

Perhaps all of this was related to the special forbidden state on Rumeng, which was also the main purpose of him initiating this dream reincarnation.

To find a way to lift his daughter's forbidden state.

……

【After walking for who knows how long, you seemed to have reached the end of the Jing Shi Zhu space.】

【This place was like a celestial abyss.】

【On the other side of the abyss, a black great sun hovered—that was the main body of An Ying Zhu!】

【Here! This was the very center connecting Jing Tu and the Shadow World.】

【At the end sat a young girl, her jet-black hair reaching her waist.】

【For some reason, the moment you saw her, you felt an immense sadness. Her body seemed to bear a suffering that even you couldn't accept.】

【Even the pure heart of a deity couldn't perceive those sufferings.】

【Bai Li Ming and the other Guardians glanced at you, then silently turned and left. At the end of this celestial abyss, only you and this strongest Guardian remained.】

【She turned to look at you.】

【You looked at her too.】

【She was the most beautiful woman you had ever seen. Whether in the Jing Tu world or the Shadow World, all the departed paled in comparison before her.】

【Her features were carved by the perfect Heavenly Dao, with not a single flaw to be found.】

【Too perfect!】

【Instead, it made her seem illusory, not quite real.】

【Every gesture she made was like the essence of Dao itself—this was absolutely not something the Wangxian Realm could achieve.】

【An Immortal?】

【It seemed to lack something.】

【You recalled what Elder Gu Qing had said: "She is not an Immortal, yet she surpasses one."】

【The moment you saw her, you finally understood the meaning of those words.】

【"Greetings, senior strongest Guardian. I am Shu."】

【You introduced yourself, but you felt that speaking to her like this was somehow strange.】

"I am Lin Rumeng."

The strongest guardian stared straight at you, and there seemed to be a tear in their eyes? Why? Were they about to cry?

Seeing them like that, I felt pity, and you suddenly also wanted to cry.

"Rumeng senior, I want..."

As soon as you began to speak, they cut you off.

They said, "Don't call me senior; just call me by my name."

"Alright."

Perhaps in their mind, you are already comrades fighting side by side.

"Rumeng, I want to know, is the Path to Immortality in the Jing Shi Zhu real?" you asked.

"Yes."

Lin Rumeng said, "Because the shadow world was assimilated, the Heavenly Dao became hidden, the Path to Immortality vanished, so the ancestors before the Jing Tu era reflected the Path to Immortality into the Jing Shi Zhu."

You thought for a moment, "So, the Jing Shi Zhu is an Immortal Weapon left from before the Jing Tu era?"

"Hmm."

Lin Rumeng nodded, "It is the foundation left by the ancestors that makes the Jing Tu world stable today."

You wondered, then asked, "Bai Li Ming and the others can actually ascend to Immortality again, right?"

Lin Rumeng said gravely, "The next ascension will be the end of everything."

Your expression also grew solemn, "I can feel that An Ying Zhu's consciousness is beginning to fluctuate; they are awakening?"

"Perhaps the final great battle is about to begin."

Lin Rumeng said, "However, compared to your cultivation time, these years are still long; you still have plenty of room."

"I will try my best."

You said earnestly, "I will strive to stand by your side and fight alongside you; that has always been my goal."

Lin Rumeng stared at you blankly.

Finally, they couldn't hold back and laughed.

You asked, puzzled, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

They smiled and shook their head, "I just find it very funny."

"Alright then."

You felt helpless; these people were odd from start to finish, and you couldn't put it into words.

Lin Rumeng waved, "Sit here; I want to talk with you, and I have some questions to ask you."