Chapter 62: Totems of the Fifty‑Six Ethnic Groups

The village, while soaring, continuously absorbs surrounding matter, enlarging itself, rapidly expanding to several hundred meters in length, resembling a blood‑red new moon, surrounded by a layer of mysterious black light.

In an instant.

It has already closed in on the old man's front.

Seeing this, the old man raised the Soul‑Capturing Bell in his hand and, with a wave, effortlessly shattered the blood‑colored new moon's slash with ferocious force.

Hm?

Jiu Tun Da Gui's eyes flickered slightly, giving the old man no chance to react,

gripping the Muramasa, in just a breath, he consecutively slashed out twenty New Moon Slashes.

These mighty forces converged, and wherever they passed, one seemed to hear the little demon's wail.

The vertical New Moon Slash, its embedded power tearing through the sky's cloud layer, left a deep fissure on one side of the riverbank!

Demon Slash | New Moon!

With this strike, Jiu Tun Da Gui poured his entire strength into it.

He was brimming with confidence, believing a single blow could completely erase the old man and the corpses behind him.

A powerful move.

It ignited the audience's anticipation.

Dragon Nation spectators fixed their gaze on the old man on the river, awaiting his next move.

However.

Facing the advancing assault, the old man showed no fear, merely shaking his head lightly.

He then turned, facing the fifty‑six black shadows behind him,

and the thousands of black shadows farther away, bowing with both hands, his tone unusually reverent,

"This old man knows you have been waiting for a long time,"

"Then, for this final strike, it shall be you who deliver it,"

Having said so, the old man hunched his back and slowly walked backward, not forgetting to admonish,

"Warriors, with your indomitable will,

and steadfast patriotic conviction, once again carve the waves for my Dragon Nation!"

His words hung in the air.

Boom—boom—boom!

In an instant!

A force, the strongest, most vast, most majestic in the world,

suddenly erupted from those fifty‑six black shadows!

The boundless power at that moment transformed into ten thousand rays of light, soaring straight into the heavens, and in the blink of an eye dispelled the world's darkness!

The brightest light in the world illuminated those fifty‑six black shadows.

Then, under the stunned gaze of all the spectators,

those fifty‑six black shadows gradually revealed their true forms.

Behind them coalesced formidable totems, representing the fifty‑six ethnic groups.

The Han's Dragon‑Phoenix Auspicious totem.

The Tibetan Potala Palace totem.

The Uyghur Nightingale totem.

The Miao Embroidered totem.

The Yugur Sacred Deer totem.

The Zhuang Bronze Drum totem.

…

When the totems of the fifty‑six ethnic groups appeared,

Dragon Nation spectators suddenly realized!

The fifty‑six black shadows on the scene were heroic representatives from each ethnicity.

The thousands of black shadows were the heroic spirits of each ethnicity's anti‑Japanese heroes!

At the same time.

Almost simultaneously.

In the minds of all Dragon Nation people, a memory surfaced.

That memory recorded the life of the old man in the raincoat.

He was a corpse‑herder.

From western Hunan.

Having practiced corpse‑herding since childhood, he once believed this skill alone could secure his livelihood.

However, with the outbreak of the War of Resistance against Japan,

everything underwent a cataclysmic change.

Many warriors perished on the front lines.

They could not return home even until the very last moment.

To let these fallen warriors' souls return to their homeland, he resolutely left his hometown and embarked on the unrewarded path of corpse‑herding.

Whenever war broke out, even at the risk of his own life, he ensured that the bodies of Dragon Nation warriors could be returned home.

If the remains were intact, he personally delivered them back.

If the remains were damaged, he took a symbolic object, found a feng‑shui auspicious burial site for a grand interment, and then sent the symbolic object back to the hometown.

During this period, he never sought any remuneration.

It is precisely this perseverance, belief, righteousness, and deep affection for the nation,

It allowed him, during the Anti-Japanese War period, to successfully send back the heroic souls of exactly five thousand six hundred soldiers, so that they could return to their roots.

Now,

These devoted heroic spirits, using their methods, are once again defending the land of Dragon Nation!

Facing the incomparably formidable slaughtering methods of the Sake-Swallowing Great Devil,

On the faces of the heroic spirits, a variety of expressions gathered.

There was anger, resolve, courage, disdain, and surging killing intent, but the only thing absent was fear!

Because the heroic spirits knew well, they were facing a terrifying enemy from the Great Heroic Nation.

Great Heroic Nation?

What are they!

What is there to fear!

They are merely ordinary mortals; come one, kill one; come a group, wipe out the group!

On the platform, the combined power of all the heroic spirits, and the totems on their bodies symbolizing each ethnicity, in this instant burst forth with variegated colors, each extraordinarily dazzling!

These colors shot up into the sky,

Finally, at a certain moment, they began to converge with each other,

merging together,

turning into a river of gorgeous, dazzling light.

This light has only two colors.

One is red,

One is yellow.

The red turned into a magnificent curtain vast enough to cover the earth, while five strands of golden-yellow light were inlaid within the red, constituting the most sublime sight in the world.

This scene was not only clearly seen by the on-site audience, but even the common people on the land of Dragon Nation could see it clearly.

When they looked up and saw that incomparably solemn pattern in the sky,

almost at the same time,

their whole body shuddered as if an electric current passed through, and goosebumps rose all over.

「It's the national flag! 」

「It's our Dragon Nation's national flag! 」

「It covers the entire world! 」

Gazing at that boundless, expansive presence displaying astonishing power in the high skies,

The Sake-Swallowing Great Devil stared wide-eyed, exerting all his strength to try to resist.

However,

This is impossible.

It does not possess such power.

This strike,

merged the spirit and will of Dragon Nation's fifty-six ethnicities.

Great Heroic Nation, what can you use to resist?

They, what qualifications do they have to resist?

Boom!

In an instant!

Under this magnificent offensive, the Sake-Swallowing Great Devil had no power to retaliate, instantly turning to flying ash and vanishing between heaven and earth.

The heroic spirits gazed upon all this, their faces overflowing with excitement and joy.

At this moment,

The elder who had previously retreated to the rear, bringing the sacrificed heroic spirits of Dragon Nation, walked up to Zhang Cheng,

handing over all the tools in his hand used for corpse-driving to Zhang Cheng, then performing a salute with clasped hands,

「Xiangxi Corpse-Chaser, sending off our nation's warriors, crossing rivers and lakes—return to the homeland! 」

At this moment,

The faces of all Dragon Nation's people instantly turned solemn.

Regardless of what they were doing, almost simultaneously, everyone stood up.

Zhang Cheng straightened his body, lifted his head and chest, with a vigorous spirit, using the most reverent gaze, he looked upon all the sacrificed heroic spirits, and Hong Liang's voice echoed,

「Junior Zhang Cheng, representing the fourteen billion descendants of Dragon Nation, welcome all heroic spirits to return home in glory! 」

「Salute! 」

The people of Dragon Nation, in this instant, each with solemn expression and bright, piercing eyes, paid respects to the martyrs, performing a deep bow.

The martyrs standing behind the old man witnessed this scene,

especially seeing the descendants of Dragon Nation's people full of spirit and high morale,

and the deep reverence and admiration in their gaze,

the leading martyr stepped forward, gazing upon all the people of Dragon Nation, his voice deep and strong,

「What we see today, Dragon Nation is thriving; the people remember the hardships of heroes and honor their glory. 」

「Though we are dead, we have no regrets! 」

「Everything we have given was worth it! 」

These few short words,

Yet they shook the hearts and souls of all Dragon Nation people.

To protect Dragon Nation, to free the people from suffering, the martyrs feared neither life nor death, fighting on the front lines of the resistance.

They gave their all, not for personal gain, only hoping that future Dragon Nation would truly become strong and never again be bullied.

At this moment, witnessing Dragon Nation's strength and the people's peace, smiles blossomed on the martyrs' faces.

This is the purest smile in the world, untainted by any impurity, the most capable of moving hearts.

They are the people who have endured the most hardships;

They are the people worthy of the highest reverence;

At the same time, they are also the most lovable people.

In the reverent gaze of all Dragon Nation people,

The martyrs stood neat and solemn, performing a solemn military salute, their figures transforming into the most brilliant light,

They converged toward the Dragon Nation flag fluttering in the sky, turning into mighty forces that protected this land.

Their will, eternal and immortal!

Their spirit, forever verdant!

……

When the last martyr's figure merged into the flag in the sky,

As an old man of the Xiangxi corpse-chasers, he bowed to Zhang Cheng in farewell,

"I, the old one, shall part here."

After speaking, his figure slowly faded away.