Chapter 35

Serve with life, serve with heart.

In the simulated battlefield, the fighting Sentinels are perfectly restored to reality, one-to-one.

Physical strength, spiritual power, height, weight, resistance to impact, and so on—none of them changed.

Fu Guang's special trait lies in her originally possessing at least S-rank strength, but because her injured spiritual power shattered her sea of consciousness, it leaks spiritual power with a whoosh; meanwhile, a spirit entity that gulps down spiritual power absorbs the rest, leaving her perpetually short.

Thus her tested rank comes out low.

But the system only measures spiritual power by the size of the sea of consciousness, so Fu Guang's virtual strength is far above normal.

She silently calculates the drain rate of her continuously released Rainfall spiritual power; on the battlefield, a hair's breadth off can lead to a thousand-mile loss.

Seeing the situation, she must keep going nonstop; the more self-aware she is, the safer she becomes.

She flicked the thread in her hand, unmoved by the words of the Li family's second-generation scion Sentinel.

The icy thread coiled around her fingertips, and spiritual power traveled along it to the siblings, keeping their condition at its peak.

The thread trembled slightly with the Sentinels' movements; the jumping blue thread reminded Fu Guang of a niche sect technique—puppet silk, a method with a bad reputation but great utility.

She also happened to know how to perform puppet silk; she turned her eyes and gathered her thoughts—there was no need to think so much now.

Wind and sand rose, the rustling carried distant information; within the dim-yellow sand curtain stood tall figures, unknown how many squads had arrived.

If this continues, we'll end up like turtles in a jar.

The blue thread snapped, and Fu Guang summoned a zither with five strings.

With her bare hand she plucked the second string, and a clear, resonant clang rang out, like metal weapons clashing.

"Swift battle, swift decision." The sound and its layers of waves spread with the wind.

The second string of the zither belongs to Metal, which governs slaughter; it carries endless killing intent and spreads outward.

Just one strike.

The pervasive killing intent swept the yellow sand into a clear rift, clearing the sand around her and exposing all the surrounding squads.

She cradled the zither diagonally in one hand, her jade-white fingertips poised over the strings, ready to strike at any movement of the Sentinels.

"Did I see wrong? The guide is holding the line?"

"What angel guide, I love it. If it's Fu Guang as guide, I'd also like to apply to be her guard Sentinel."

"Go dream your grand spring‑autumn beauty dream, overestimating yourself."

"Upstairs, your hostility is heavy; maybe you got rejected?"

Someone rubbed their eyes and looked at the siblings, who were pumped up like chicken blood, moving faster than usual, with faint fish beginning to circle around them.

"It's a buff!" At a certain level of excitement, the Sentinels had gone numb; Fu Guang as guide had harm, buff, and her innate weapon.

A Sentinel rubbed his head, feeling that something was off.

When did a B-rank guide become this strong?

But everything fits the norm, which is too abnormal.

"Could it be that Fu Guang as guide is a genius among geniuses?"

The siblings are in perfect sync: the brother attacks, the sister provides ranged support; under normal coordination, at the same rank they can take on five, and with buffs and healing they can truly let loose—for a while no one could break their offense.

"Please, when will Fu Guang as guide go on a mission? Can you take me along?"

"I also want to go all out; that feeling is truly exhilarating."

The blade swept across the Sentinel's neck but only cut air; the second‑generation scion trembled, signaled surrender, realizing his life mattered more than his reputation.

"Lord Fu Guang, I have not disgraced my orders."

The siblings were covered in bloodstains; their white feathers soaked up blood and turned crimson, while their black feathers grew even darker.

They knelt on one knee before Fu Guang, heads bowed.

"Today's affair, even if you repay my lifesaving grace, you are free."

Fu Guang lowered her brows and eyes toward the Sentinel who, even kneeling, reached only to her waist.

They sheathed their weapons; the killing intent before her retracted, like a beast drawing in its claws—a posture of submission.

"No, Lord Fu Guang, the Xue Yuan has already assigned us…" Liu Yun, who had just managed to speak, hurriedly said.

Fu Guang interrupted, "That is the Xue Yuan's arrangement."

"Lord Fu Guang, I serve you not for the Xue Yuan but for myself." Shu Tong let Liu Yun stop speaking, she said.

"Is that so?" Fu Guang said lightly, her blue eyes like a sea, inscrutable.

"Regarding today's matter, I will ask your opinion again."

"Shu Tong, Liu Yun, do you confirm you will submit to me?" Her words were soft yet struck heavy in their hearts.

"Serve with life, serve with heart. I entrust to you all future honor, disgrace, and life."

"Those who violate will have their souls scattered and spirits dissipated, eternally plunging into the Netherworld. Are you sure?"

Fu Guang has never trusted human hearts; they change easily, and sincerity vanishes in an instant.

But there are also genuine feelings that even seas turning to mulberry fields cannot alter.

"We are willing to serve the lord with our lives, to serve with life, to serve with heart."

"If we break this oath, our souls will scatter and spirits dissipate, eternally plunging into the Netherworld."

They spoke in unison, their voices resonant and forceful, as if bearing a resolute, unrepentant determination.

Fu Guang lowered her gaze, long lashes drooping; she stood there like a pitiful deity.

"Then Sentinels, swear your loyalty to me, devote your lives, and show your all."

"I also promise you, I will advance together with you."

Two drops of deep black pearls appeared in her hand; as they appeared, even the virtual space began to tremble, and they shot straight to the siblings' brows, breaking through space and time to merge into their mental landscapes.

Around the Sentinels' mental landscapes a barrier formed, through which giant phantom fish swam.

"What is that?" Yin Zhu murmured, her gaze somewhat unfocused.

"It is the source of the Guide's spiritual power." Li Shao crossed his arms, leaning against the ice wall, his red pupils flickering, "Suddenly I'm a bit jealous of them."

He covered half his face, his expression unchanging, since there truly is a Guide pitying the Sentinel.

Not pity, not compassion, what emotion is this, he can't tell.

The Sentinels also can't tell.

The comments constantly jumping on the screen also suddenly stopped, only the wind and sand sound continues.

Li Ge took the steaming water from beside the table and drank it in one gulp, her eyelashes trembling slightly.

Too long, too long, so long that she forgot the days when she fought side by side with the Guide, entrusting each other with life and death.

The film clips in her memory have long yellowed, peeled off, she can't remember.

The former Sentinels and Guides were comrades-in-arms who entrusted life and death, were kin entwined with joy and anger, but now they are... also considered "undying and relentless" enemies.

She feels she should be indifferent, someone must make a change, as Guides continue to dwindle, without alien invasion, humanity will erupt in war internally.

She presses the executor's seal that resides in her onto the red plan; a heavy sound signals the opening of a new era.

That is the revised plan, previously rejected by the White Tower.

Li Ge lowered her hand at her side, slightly trembling, but she no longer cares; as a former Sentinel and now the acting Federal Chief Executor, she has the authority to be responsible for humanity's continuation.