163: Chapter 163 The Emperor's Legacy, the Eternal Battle Banner

The path leading into the mountainside was longer than expected.

After the gray mist dissipated, neat stone steps were revealed beneath their feet. The steps were paved with solid slabs of bluestone, each level polished as smooth as a mirror, with ten thousand years of time failing to leave a single mark upon them.

Lin Fan walked at the very front, his gaze falling upon the walls on either side of the stone steps.

The walls were covered in murals.

In the first mural, a young man stood atop a mountain peak, looking up at the starry sky. No one was behind him; there was only a single sword thrust into the rock.

In the second mural, the man began to take disciples. Over ten people stood before him, all with young faces, their eyes burning with a thirst for power.

In the third, the number of people increased. Dozens, hundreds, eventually converging into an army.

In the fourth, the army set out on a campaign. They crossed mountains and rivers, traversed oceans, and finally stepped into a land shrouded in black mist.

In the fifth... Lin Fan stopped in his tracks.

In this mural, that man stood alone on a high platform, facing an overwhelming army of demonic creatures. Behind him, three thousand warriors were all kneeling on the ground, looking up at him.

The man's mouth was open, as if he were saying something.

Lin Fan recalled the words the Great Emperor's remnant soul had said before dissipating: "Tell Qin Yue that I do not blame him."

It turned out that in that battle, it wasn't the Great Emperor who ordered the Eternal Battle Group to retreat.

It was that they refused to leave.

The Great Emperor could only use the power of Eternity to Seal them, letting them wait in place.

Waiting for someone who could inherit this path.

"He sealed them?" Xia Qingyue walked to Lin Fan's side, her voice slightly raspy as she looked at the mural. "He sealed three thousand people who were willing to go to their deaths with him?"

"Because he didn't want them to die," Lin Fan said. "He could choose to face death himself, but he had no right to choose for others."

Su Zhiqing did not speak, merely gazing quietly at the mural.

She saw a young woman in the corner of the mural. She was kneeling among the crowd, looking up at the Great Emperor on the high platform, her eyes devoid of tears, containing only a light that was almost pious.

The woman's face... Su Zhiqing's pupils constricted slightly.

That face bore a thirty percent resemblance to her own.

"What's wrong?" Lin Fan noticed her abnormality.

"It's nothing." Su Zhiqing withdrew her gaze. "Let's keep going."

Lin Fan glanced at her but did not press further.

The group continued forward.

The murals became increasingly tragic in the later panels. Demonic creatures surged like a tide, and the warriors of the Eternal Battle Group fell one by one. But they did not retreat, nor did they fear; they simply fought in silence until the very last moment.

In the final mural, all three thousand warriors had fallen.

The Great Emperor stood in the center of their corpses, the sword held in his hand, looking up at the sky.

His mouth was open, as if he were shouting.

But the murals ended there.

There was no conclusion.

Lin Fan stood before the final mural, speechless for a long time.

After a long while, he turned and continued walking upward.

At the end of the stone steps was a stone door.

The door was open.

Or rather, it had never been closed in ten thousand years.

Lin Fan stepped through the stone door.

Behind the door was a massive hall. The vault was so high its top was out of sight, and the surrounding walls were embedded with countless glowing crystals, illuminating the entire hall like daylight.

In the center of the hall, a flag was suspended.

The flag was triangular, its base color a hazy Chaos gray. An ancient rune was embroidered on the flag's surface—it was the symbol of the fusion of Eternity and Annihilation, identical to the rune inside Lin Fan's body.

Beneath the flag, three thousand swords were thrust into the ground.

Every sword was covered in rust, and a wooden plaque was tied to each hilt, carved with the name of the sword's owner.

Lin Fan slowly walked toward that flag.

When he came within three zhang of the flag, it suddenly moved without wind, snapping loudly.

A majestic voice echoed through the hall:

"Latecomer, the fact that you could reach this place means you have already gained the Great Emperor's recognition."

"This flag is named the 'eternal battle banner'; it is where the military soul of the Eternal Battle Group resides."

"The wielder of this flag can command three thousand battle souls and summon the final glory of the Eternal Battle Group."

"But you must know—"

"Once this flag recognizes its master, you will become the new generation commander of the Eternal Battle Group."

"You will take upon yourself the unfulfilled legacy of the three thousand battle souls and shoulder their ten thousand years of waiting."

"Are you willing?"

Lin Fan did not hesitate.

"I am willing."

As his words fell, the eternal battle banner suddenly transformed into a gray stream of light and merged into the space between his eyebrows.

In the next instant, Lin Fan's entire body shook violently.

Countless images flooded into his mind like a tide: scenes of the three thousand warriors training, scenes of them setting out for battle, scenes of them fighting side-by-side, scenes of them falling one by one... Finally, it was the Great Emperor's voice: "I leave it to you."

Lin Fan opened his eyes, the gray light within them deeper and heavier than before.

He looked down at the three thousand swords.

Every sword vibrated slightly, as if paying their respects to him.

"Brothers," Lin Fan spoke, his voice low yet carrying throughout the entire hall. "Your waiting is over."

"From this day forward, I shall inherit your legacy."

"I shall continue your glory."

Three thousand swords chimed in unison, their blades bursting with blinding golden light.

Within the golden light, phantoms slowly emerged; these were the three thousand battle souls of the Eternal Battle Group. They stood there, clad in battle armor and holding longswords, gazing at Lin Fan with burning eyes.

At the very front stood a figure familiar to Lin Fan.

Qin Yue.

Seventh Guard Leader Qin Yue.

He was no longer the decrepit, elderly figure from the Corpse Whisperer's lair, but had regained his heroic bearing from middle age. He was surrounded by radiant golden light, and the ghost fires in his eyes had turned into pure golden flames.

"Lin Fan," he spoke, his voice as resonant as a bell. "You truly did not disappoint the Great Emperor."

Lin Fan looked at him and gave a slight nod.

Qin Yue smiled.

He turned to look at the three thousand battle souls behind him and shouted loudly:

"Brothers, the person we have been waiting for has finally arrived!"

The three thousand battle souls raised their swords in unison and roared toward the heavens.

That roar made the entire hall tremble, causing the crystals on the vault to fall one after another.

The roar lasted for a full thirty breaths before gradually subsiding.

Qin Yue turned back and looked at Lin Fan: "Commander, please give the order."

Lin Fan was silent for a moment before saying, "You have already waited for too long. I will walk the path ahead myself."

"You..."

He looked at the three thousand battle souls and said each word deliberately: "Rest in peace."

The three thousand battle souls were all stunned.

A complex expression flashed through Qin Yue's eyes: "Commander, we can still fight, we can still—"

"I know," Lin Fan interrupted him. "But you have already done enough."

"Your era has ended."

"Next, is my era."

He raised his hand, and the eternal battle banner emerged from between his eyebrows, snapping loudly above his head.

"In the name of the new generation commander of the Eternal Battle Group, I order—"

"Eternal Battle Group, disband."

"Three thousand battle souls, return to Eternity."

As his words fell, the three thousand battle souls all knelt down.

Qin Yue knelt at the very front, golden light flickering in his eyes; it was reluctance, gratitude, and also a sense of relief.

"Commander..." he said with a trembling voice, "take care."

Lin Fan nodded.

The figures of the three thousand battle souls began to fade, turning into countless golden specks of light that slowly drifted toward the vault of the hall.

There, a crack opened up.

Sunlight spilled through.

For the first time in ten thousand years, light shone into this hall.

The golden specks of light passed through the sunlight and dissipated into the world.

Lin Fan stood in place, watching them depart.

Behind him, the Three Hundred Battle Guards all knelt down and did not rise for a long time.

Xia Qingyue's eyes turned slightly red.

Su Zhiqing stood quietly, the dissipating golden light reflected in her eyes.

After a long while, Lin Fan turned and looked at the three thousand swords.

The rust on the swords was falling off, revealing bright, snowy blades.

"These swords..." Lin Pojun said with a trembling voice.

"Are the gifts they left for future generations," Lin Fan said. "Every sword contains the Sword Intent of a battle soul. Those with the affinity may obtain them."

He looked at the Three Hundred Battle Guards: "Go, each according to your Opportunity."

The Three Hundred Battle Guards hesitated for a moment before someone finally stood up and walked toward the swords.

One sword, two swords, three... the blades vibrated, and Sword Intent soared to the heavens.

Some received an infusion of Sword Intent and achieved a Breakthrough on the spot.

The moment some grasped a hilt, tears streamed down their faces—within those swords were the residual memories of the battle souls and the convictions they had not forgotten even after waiting for ten thousand years.

Half an hour later, every one of the Three Hundred Battle Guards had an extra sword in their hand.

They stood there, their surrounding auras more than a level stronger than before.

Lin Fan looked at the few remaining swords.

One of them had a slender blade, and a name was carved into the hilt: 'Ancient Sword'.

Su Zhiqing's gaze fell upon that sword, her eyes narrowing slightly.

"Go ahead," Lin Fan said. "It is waiting for you."

Su Zhiqing was silent for a moment before slowly walking toward that sword.

She reached out and grasped the hilt.

In the next instant, her whole body jolted.

A woman's voice echoed in her mind:

"You have finally come."

"I have waited ten thousand years for you."

Su Zhiqing closed her eyes, and a single tear slid from the corner of her eye.

Lin Fan withdrew his gaze and turned to look into the depths of the hall.

There was another door there.

The ancient rune for 'Annihilation' was carved upon it.

He stepped toward that door.

Behind him, the eternal battle banner snapped loudly above his head, as if guiding his way.

Xia Qingyue looked at his back and suddenly asked softly, "Miss Su, are you alright?"

Su Zhiqing opened her eyes, the tear stains already gone.

She gripped the sword tightly, her voice calm: "I am very well."

"Better than ever before."

She looked at Lin Fan's back, a complex emotion flashing in her eyes.

In that emotion, there was gratitude, respect, and something else she hadn't even noticed herself.

Lin Fan pushed open the door.

Behind the door was a void.

Darkness, endless, with nothing at all.

But he did not hesitate and stepped inside.

Behind him, the door slowly closed.

Xia Qingyue's heart tightened, and she wanted to follow, but she was stopped by Su Zhiqing.

"Let him go alone," Su Zhiqing said. "That is his path."

Xia Qingyue stopped her steps and clenched her fists.

Behind the door, Lin Fan stood in the void.

In the darkness, a voice spoke:

"You have finally come." Lin Fan recognized this voice.

The Great Emperor of Annihilation.

"You knew I would come?"

"Of course." There was a hint of a smile in the Great Emperor of Annihilation's voice. "How could a fellow like the Great Emperor not leave a backup plan?"

"You and him..."

"We were enemies, and also friends," the Great Emperor of Annihilation said. "In that battle, we both understood each other's Dao, so we both won."

"But we also both lost."

Lin Fan was silent.

"You came to find me; what is it you want to ask?"

Lin Fan looked up into the depths of the darkness:

"I want to know—"

"What exactly are the Nirvana Believers?"