# Chapter 2998: Years Pass, A Century Gone...
And that ghost guarding the starry sky was Zhang San...
He didn't need to be remembered, nor did he need countless gazes or waves of encouragement...
Perhaps just being talked about like this, mentioned, and seeing the steadiness and reassurance in people's eyes was enough to give Zhang San great satisfaction!
'I've done my part well, I'm needed!'
Even if this world has nothing to do with me now, watching everyone sit here safely, talking about those impressive things I've done!
Even if they don't know I did them, don't even know there's someone like me, calling me the ghost guarding the starry sky...
This is enough!
Perhaps only at this moment does Zhang San feel like he truly exists...
Li Si murmured: Σ(°△°๑)"A ghost guarding the starry sky world? How cool is that..."
Zhang San grinned smugly:
(︶.̮︶〃)"Heh~ you little brat know your Third Brother is cool, right? Just envy me!"
As he spoke, he couldn't help but reach out to pat Li Si on the shoulder, but his translucent body passed straight through Li Si, through everything!
He... could never touch anything after all...
Zhang San paused, raised his hand to wipe his nose, his gaze dimmed, and he looked down at his own body, falling silent...
In this world, there will always be people standing in the sunlight, their bodies shining with dazzling radiance, the focus of everyone's gaze, bringing hope and anticipation to others...
Just like Jiangnan!
But not everyone has the chance to stand in the sunlight. Even the most insignificant people have their own pursuits!
Perhaps once, Zhang San envied Jiangnan, envied that he could stand in the sunlight and be watched by everyone!
He dreamed of becoming someone like Jiangnan!
But now... Zhang San no longer thinks that way...
The hardest thing to do in this world isn't becoming someone else, but being yourself...
Because there are always some things that only you can do!
"Since I'm the ghost guarding the starry sky world, then I'll be just that..."
"Brother Nan! I'll hold on until you come back, until the moment you sprinkle your radiance across the entire starry sky!"
"Until then, the ghost... won't disappear!"
As he spoke, Zhang San gripped the causal thread, and his figure instantly vanished from the meeting room!
Alone, blade in hand, he rushed toward the starry sky!
Liveliness and praise were never meant for him...
This was Zhang San's war alone!
One man's passion, one man's perseverance!
But what he guarded was everyone's shared dream!
Though nameless, it was worth giving everything for!
Time flowed on, and the war continued!
Even with the help of the ghost guarding the starry sky, the Carbon Alliance and Matter Alliance had more leeway, but overall, the Final Defense Line was still advancing!
The overall mass of the accretion disk was still growing day by day!
One person's power was ultimately limited!
Zhang San couldn't change the direction of the situation, but he could slow down the pace of the Final Plan!
Time passed another year. It had been over a year and a half since Jiangnan left on the Xianzhou Star!
During this period, to stop the Final Plan, as stars rushed toward the Final End, Li Bing developed a little gadget called the Star-Setting Pearl!
By releasing the Star-Setting Pearl, it could shield a region of stars from the Star Lord of Ten Thousand Phenomena's star-summoning ability!
But even though the Carbon Alliance and Matter Alliance were producing at full capacity, compared to the countless stars like grains of sand, it still wasn't enough—just a drop in the bucket!
The black domain in the starry sky was also expanding. On the grand scale, the Carbon Alliance and Matter Alliance couldn't resist the advance of the Final Defense Line; they could only fight and retreat!
Though retreating, it was precisely because of this resistance that the Final Plan's progress wasn't so smooth, slowing its pace!
During this period, Jiang Fan had been evolving his Full-Perception Star ability, with the help of the main body!
The Full-Perception Star was already far from what it used to be!
Jiang Fan gradually became able to see things in the divine concealment state, though still blurry, he could detect them!
Sometimes he could even detect traces of anomalies!
Occasionally, he could vaguely sense Zhang San's position, but still couldn't see him!
However, after Jiang Fan's sword light merged with his Full-Perception ability, it was increasingly able to affect the causal level!
Just like how Jiangnan had once inched his blade toward the fourth dimension, the pure land of the gods!
Jiang Fan was also inching his blade toward the causal level!
Zhang San dared not receive such a blade!
But he could still dodge!
Zhang San knew that sooner or later, Jiang Fan would point his blade at him, and that day wouldn't be far off!
But before that, Zhang San wouldn't back down!
The Carbon Alliance and Matter Alliance naturally felt the situation getting tougher, and they were also preparing for the future!
Li Bing, however, set her sights on the Northern Crown·Hercules Great Wall!
Among all the Starry Sky Calamities, only the Northern Crown·Hercules Great Wall had yet to be fully controlled by life!
And such a massive calamity, just sitting there unused, was a real waste, since it was practically a natural barrier!
So while developing systems and finishing the research on those items, Li Bing embarked on the journey to conquer the last calamity!
Of course, Li Bing's ultimate goal was more than just conquest!
But even though the starry sky was in such a mess, Xun Zu still ignored everything outside, focusing solely on refining the Divine Burial Ground!
On the battlefield of the Final Defense Line beneath the starry sky!
The Final Legion was locked in fierce combat with the resistance forces!
Behind the Final Legion was pitch black, while behind the resistance forces lay the brilliant starlight!
The starry sky world seemed split apart, like a collision between light and darkness!
Zhang San's ethereal figure stood across the starry battlefield, gazing into the endless darkness!
His eyes were filled with the weariness of time...
"Already a year and a half? Another year or so left... Hopefully... everything will be in time!"
As he spoke, Zhang San's figure vanished. Before long, within the endless darkness, the brilliant flames of a base explosion bloomed...
...
Celestial Palace Starry Sky World, Motong Galaxy, Eternal Wind Capital!
The fierce winds surrounding the Motong Galaxy had been blowing for over 180 years, never ceasing!
Around the Motong Galaxy, a large-scale Eternal Wind Capital had been established!
Large markets, trade guilds, pill-refining, artifact-forging, and talisman-making shops were everywhere. One could even see specially opened cultivation halls!
Newcomer cultivators could team up with wind veterans, and with the old teaching the new, they wouldn't get too badly beaten!
Over the past century, many sects had risen within the Eternal Wind Capital. Some cultivators, having comprehended great divine abilities in the fierce winds, had returned to establish their own sects here!
Moreover, many cultivators in the Eternal Wind Capital used extremely peculiar magical artifacts!
Some had forged their immortal armor into full-coverage power suits, with immense defensive power and even flying sword protection!
Others had developed multi-barreled talisman Gatling launchers, capable of freely firing various attribute talismans. Once they opened fire, it was full-on fire suppression!
Even the pill-refining industry had been reformed. Someone had created a plasma high-temperature electromagnetic furnace with freely adjustable temperature, eliminating the need to carefully control the strength of the pill fire. There were also fully automatic talisman printing machines...
These novel things appearing in the Eternal Wind Capital were unprecedented in the Celestial Palace Starry Sky World, attracting countless cultivators to come!
This was the trend of the cultivation world!
Most importantly, in the Eternal Wind Capital, one could often see the seven Genesis Realm powerhouses coming and going—this was practically a pilgrimage!
If lucky, one might even witness a Genesis Realm expert getting beaten up in the wind!
Even more exciting was that occasionally, one could see the number one beauty of the cultivation world, Nian Hongyan, descending upon the capital!
She often bought some strange things there!
Just getting a glimpse of the Crimson Beauty was enough to make life complete!
According to legend, Nian Hongyan was once just a rogue cultivator, who by chance was captured by the Eternal Demon Lord as a maid, obtaining a tremendous opportunity!
Her level skyrocketed like a rocket!
Now she was the most likely existence in the entire cultivation world to break through to the Genesis Realm!
Perhaps she could become the eighth!
Some old cultivators who had experienced the Eternal Battle back then still felt their hearts shaken whenever they thought of that great war!
After all, the Eternal Blade Sky Abyss, slashed out by the Eternal Demon Lord with a single strike, still lay there, and even after nearly two hundred years, it had yet to fully recover!
This showed the might of the Eternal Demon Lord!
Everyone knew the terror of the Eternal Demon Lord, yet over the years, no one had ever seen him come out of the Motong Galaxy, nor had anyone seen his true face!
It was as if he had become synonymous with mystery!
But no matter what, as long as the fierce winds kept blowing, it was good—because within those winds were buried countless inheritances that surpassed the entire cultivation world!
On Xianzhou Star, in the front yard of Xiao Nan's home!
To the left of the yard grew golden trees of various sizes!
The largest one was so thick that three people couldn't wrap their arms around it!
The smallest was only half a person tall...
Jiangnan stood in front of that little sapling, holding a wooden watering can, pouring water on it!
He extended a pair of scissors to trim the sapling's branches!
By now, Jiangnan's hair had turned silver, falling straight to his waist, casually tied back into a loose ponytail...
A sparse stubble had grown on his face, and even his pupils had turned silver!
He emitted not a hint of aura, like an unremarkable mortal!
After watering, he set the can aside, looked at the sapling, and smiled!
"I'll... call you Bai Qianxun! Heh~ Don't worry, you'll grow slowly..."
Every year, Jiangnan would plant a tree in the yard, giving them names, chatting with them when idle, and telling stories of the past!
And before he knew it, Jiangnan had planted a small forest in the yard!
He wandered over to the first tree he had planted, named Li Mingshan.
This tree was already very thick, its branches stretching out to both sides like thick arms!
Blocking the sunlight, casting patches of shade!
Jiangnan had hung two hemp ropes and a wooden board on the branches, making a swing!
Now Jiangnan sat on that swing, kicked his feet, and the swing carried him swaying!
Holding the ropes, he lifted his feet, looking up at the canopy...
The dappled tree shadows fell on Jiangnan's face, making him squint slightly!
Though his appearance hadn't changed at all, somehow, that once sunny and cheerful young man now bore a hint of weariness, appearing more mature, steady, and reserved!
It was very quiet here. Only Jiangnan was on the entire Xianzhou Star!
The only sounds were the creaking of the swing and the rustling of leaves in the breeze...
"Over 180 years, huh? Hoo~"
Just then, outside Xianzhou Star, Nian Hongyan flew over in a red dress. She didn't come closer—Xianzhou Star was off-limits. A voice like a oriole's chirp came through!
"Lord Demon Lord? The talisman Gatling, the full-armored immortal armor, the giant cannon magic puppet, and the little communication token you wanted are all here. Do... do you want to play with them now?"
Jiangnan's face instantly showed the Evil Ghost Mask!
(งᵒ̌ꇴᵒ̌)ง"Play? Why wouldn't I? Now! Show me how they work!"
With that, he teleported off the swing!
(I take back what I said earlier. Mature and steady my ass!)
...
Nian Hongyan withdrew her eye technique, gritting her teeth. Damn it, she still couldn't see Lord Demon Lord's face clearly!
Ahhh! She was so curious!