# 1559
Chapter 1559: The Method of the Celestial Sovereign
Hearing these words, Cao Yuan's emotions gradually stabilized. He took a deep breath and released his grip on the desk.
Zuo Qing helplessly closed his eyes and continued, "Everyone knows the relationship between you and An Qingyu... and precisely because of this, I proposed to the Gods of Great Xia that the Night Watch squad be recused from this matter.
After all, if you truly do something, leading to the failed handling of An Qingyu, and the Key to the Gate returns, it won't just be Great Xia—entire Earth will be reduced to chaos... At that point, Night Watch will become the sinners of the entire world.
But you all should have been heroes, shouldn't you?"
Lin Qiye met Zuo Qing's gaze, his heart slightly trembling.
The look in Zuo Qing's eyes contained complex emotions—anticipation, relief, helplessness, guilt... Lin Qiye had seen such a gaze in Ye Fan's eyes before.
The difference was that Ye Fan back then had only witnessed part of Night Watch's rise, while Zuo Qing had personally watched them grow from nothing to what they were today. No one understood better than Zuo Qing how much Night Watch had contributed to Great Xia, how many miracles they had created... He was like Night Watch's father, witnessing their growth, and precisely because of this, he was unwilling to see this squad ultimately meet the worst possible end.
"So, don't go to Heavenly Court, don't do anything foolish... This is an order." Zuo Qing's tone was unwavering.
He took out a thick file from his drawer and placed it before Lin Qiye and Cao Yuan, his voice softening slightly.
"An Qingyu's departure means Night Watch temporarily has only the two of you. However, it shouldn't be long before Jialan recovers and returns. Then you'll be three members, and Night Watch won't be forcibly dissolved due to insufficient personnel.
This is the roster of all active Night Watch members. You can look through it first and select some elite additions to compensate for the personnel gap."
Lin Qiye silently stared at the Night Watch roster before him, making no move to reach for it.
After an unknown period, he inhaled deeply and slowly pushed the roster back toward Zuo Qing.
"Apologies, Commander Zuo... I have no intention of expanding the team with new members."
After speaking, Lin Qiye said nothing more. He turned directly toward the door of the Commander's office. Cao Yuan didn't even glance at the roster, calmly following behind him.
Bang—!
As those two crimson-clad figures departed, the office door closed with a dull thud.
In the empty room, Zuo Qing helplessly closed his eyes, leaned back against his chair, and let out a long sigh...
...
Heavenly Court.
"The Gate of Truth... I see..."
After hearing Lingbao Tianzun's explanation, a bitter smile appeared in An Qingyu's eyes. "So, as long as I'm alive, I'll accelerate the Gate of Truth's revival, eventually becoming the Key to the Gate?"
Lingbao Tianzun silently nodded.
"But there's still one thing I don't quite understand." An Qingyu paused briefly. "If the Gate of Truth revives because of me, will I become the Key to the Gate, or will the Key to the Gate be reborn through my body?"
"Neither." Lingbao Tianzun shook his head. "The Key to the Gate is the incarnation of truth. He is part of truth itself, the guardian of the Gate of Truth... This may be difficult to understand. Do you know of spirit blades?"
"You mean the spiritual consciousness nurtured within divine artifacts?"
"Exactly. The Key to the Gate, in a sense, is the spirit blade of the Gate of Truth. Therefore, he himself cannot truly die, because truth will never be extinguished. The only way to destroy him is to destroy the Gate of Truth itself, causing the Key to the Gate—the spirit blade—to fall into an infinite slumber close to death. The ancestral gods did precisely this back then.
Your existence, however, is causing the Gate of Truth to continuously repair itself. The moment it fully recovers, the Key to the Gate will naturally awaken... Strictly speaking, you are different individuals, but your fates are intricately bound, like a divine artifact and its spirit blade.
With this understanding, can you grasp it?"
An Qingyu nodded. "I understand."
"Then... what do you plan to do?" Jiang Er's lips pressed together tightly.
Lingbao Tianzun gazed at An Qingyu with a complicated expression. After a long silence, he slowly spoke: "The simplest and most direct method is to kill you, destroying your soul completely. That way, the Gate of Truth will have no possibility of revival..."
Hearing these words, Jiang Er's eyes narrowed, her face instantly turning pale.
An Qingyu only nodded calmly. "This would indeed be the most secure and cost-effective solution. As long as they kill me, one of the Cthulhu Faction's three pillar gods can be prevented from reviving."
His expression remained unchanged, as if he were not discussing his own death at all, but rather presenting a rigorous scientific argument.
"But I don't want to do that." Lingbao Tianzun slowly said. "To prevent the Gate of Truth's revival, the key is to make it stop deconstructing the world. You are like the Gate of Truth's eye. As long as we completely sever you from this world, it naturally won't be able to continue recovering."
"Severing from this world... how would that work?"
"Sealing you."
Around Lingbao Tianzun's body, a faint aura emerged, intertwining into countless complex Dao patterns displayed before An Qingyu. "Gathering the full power of our Gods of Great Xia, we will place ninety-nine thousand, nine hundred and ninety-nine seals upon your body, sealing every inch of your skin and soul. Then we'll sink you into the Lingyuan of Heavenly Court, completely isolating you from this world...
This way, we preserve your life while preventing the Key to the Gate's revival."
An Qingyu was stunned for a long while before speaking with a helpless smile. "That sounds like some kind of punishment... Are you asking me to endure eternal solitude?"
"No. The seals will封印 your thoughts and perception. You won't feel any passage of time. No matter how long you're submerged in the Lingyuan, it will only feel like a moment's nap to you. You won't experience any emotions, including loneliness."
Lingbao Tianzun paused. "An Qingyu, please rest assured. As long as贫道 this one still lives, we will continuously search for methods to completely exterminate the Key to the Gate. Someday, you will see the light of day again... However, this may take a very long time. Perhaps a hundred years, a thousand years, or even... ten thousand years."
An Qingyu gazed at Lingbao Tianzun for a moment, then smiled faintly. "I believe you. Whether you're Baili Pangpang or Lingbao Tianzun, I believe you... But I have one more question."
An Qingyu raised his hand, pointing to Jiang Er beside him.
"If I'm sealed, then what happens to her?"