# 1740
Chapter 1740: Departure from the Island
Although [Chaos] was suppressed within the asylum, the current crisis was far from over.
More than a dozen Cthulhu Faction gods who had escaped from the Moon were engaged in battle against the Gods of Great Xia in the deep void. At this level of combat, Lesser Gods were almost completely useless, and even with the Chief Gods of Great Xia combined with three human reinforcements, they could only simultaneously hold off eight Cthulhu Faction gods at most.
As the Heavenly Court suppressed the Moon's breach, the last few escaped Cthulhu Faction gods gave up attacking the Heavenly Court and instead turned directly, leaping over the battlefield to charge toward Earth.
On the other side of the Moon, the two Heavenly Lords saw this and a solemn expression appeared between their brows.
"This is bad... there are far too many Cthulhu Faction gods that escaped. The Heavenly Court can't hold them."
The two Heavenly Lords naturally wanted to help the Gods of Great Xia, but they were too severely injured from [Chaos]'s desperate final strike. They couldn't even fight against Cthulhu Faction gods, let alone maintain this crushed physical body.
"两位Heavenly Lords." Lin Qiye said in a low voice, "Your injuries are too severe. You should stabilize your physical bodies first. As for the battlefield... leave it to me."
Upon hearing this, the Lord of道德 (Moral) Tianzun looked hesitant. "Lin Qiye, we know your strength has increased dramatically, but how can one person possibly stop five Cthulhu Faction gods?"
Five Cthulhu Faction gods, converted to Earth's combat power equivalents, would require at least a dozen Chief Gods to barely hold them off. Even if a human achieved godhood, they would need seven or eight Shen Qingzhus or Zhoupings.
No matter how strong Lin Qiye was, he had not reached the Supreme God realm, nor had he even become a god. One person alone standing against five Cthulhu Faction gods was nothing short of a fantasy.
Lin Qiye shook his head. He took out a white chess piece from his chest and calmly looked toward Earth.
"I... am not alone."
Great Xia.
National Destiny Island.
Within the surging National Destiny of Great Xia, a young figure clad in armor, as if sensing something, slowly opened his eyes...
He looked down at his palm, where a white chess piece was radiating a faint glow, as if conveying something.
"Marquis..."
A beautiful woman in court attire walked over from the other end of the national destiny torrent. She gently removed her hairpin, and her jet-black hair fell naturally over her shoulders.
At the end of that hairpin, a piece like white jade was also emitting a faint radiance.
"Mm." Huo Qubing微微点头 he stood up and glanced at the emptiness above. "This day... has finally arrived."
The hand gripping his spear suddenly tightened!
A brilliant beam of light instantly pierced through sky and earth, terrifying aftershocks continuously spreading from the beam, illuminating the pitch-black night as if it were daylight!
BOOM——!!
Thick lightning slashed across the sky, tsunamis formed rings, and were frantically swept away from the Island.
The violent wind swept every corner of the Island, the forests covering the mountains swayed violently, as if they would be uprooted at any moment!
"What's going on?!" Li Kengqiang, commander-in-chief of the second-generation Night Watch, stood on a cliff, watching that terrifying beam of light piercing from the depths of the earth. "What's wrong with the Marquis? Such a bad temper today?"
"Didn't you sense it? In space, there seems to be large-scale divine power fluctuations." Wang Qing, the fourth-generation commander-in-chief, looked up at the sky. "Divine warfare has already begun in places we cannot see."
Amid the roaring waves, a young man in a white shirt holding a Sky-Piercer Halberd drifted out and steadily landed beside the two of them.
He was Tang Yusheng, commander-in-chief of the third generation of the Night Watch.
"The entire sea area has been turned into chaos. With such a terrifying aura, could the Marquis have already..."
"Are you saying the Marquis is about to take that step?!" Li Kengqiang seemed to have realized something, his voice rising several tones.
"The Sword Saint Zhouping created his own laws and became a Sword Immortal... do you think the Marquis's talent is any lesser than his?"
"Two thousand years ago, the Marquis failed to take that step due to a shortened natural lifespan, but now that he has been tempered within the national destiny for so long, he should have taken that step long ago."
"Can a spirit hero's body become a god?"
"A spirit hero's body cannot become a god..." From the other side of the mountain path, Nie Jinshan in a Chinese tunic suit walked over slowly, his expression somewhat complicated. "But what if the Marquis abandons this spirit hero's body?"
Hearing these words, the other three commanders-in-chief froze, quickly comprehended, and猛地looked toward where the beam of light was erupting.
"You mean the Marquis is going to..."
The冲天光束 gradually dissipated, and two figures pierced through the void, instantly appearing before the four of them.
The moment these two figures appeared, a surging might swept across heaven and earth. One was clad in armor, gripping a spear, the killing intent and sharp spear cries mingling together as if they would pierce through the entire sky; the other wore court attire, elegant and poised, countless faces flickering frantically beneath the robes, eyes deep like the bottom of a winter lake.
"Greetings, Marquis. Greetings, Gongyang elder." The four commanders saluted respectfully.
Since they had become spirit heroes and ascended to this Island, these two had already existed... and until now, they had never felt such a terrifying aura emanating from these two!
"Nie Jinshan." Huo Qubing spoke slowly.
"Here."
"From now on, the national destiny torrent beneath this Island shall be entrusted to you."
Nie Jinshan's body shook violently. Even though he had already guessed this outcome, hearing the Marquis's instructions firsthand, he still couldn't accept it.
"Marquis, Gongyang elder, do you truly intend to do this?" Nie Jinshan's face, usually like an ice mountain, showed such intense emotional波动 for the first time. "If a spirit hero leaves the nourishment of national destiny, their life will begin a countdown... you will never be able to return."
"This Marquis has guarded the dragon veins of Great Xia for two thousand years, all for this day." Huo Qubing's voice was incomparably calm. "If this broken body cannot fight for the dawn of all living beings, what meaning does it have for this Marquis to survive for several thousand more years?"
"Then this Jinshan wishes to accompany you both!"
Nie Jinshan clenched his teeth and said resolutely.
"Scoundrel!" Gongyang Wan's eyes narrowed, speaking coldly. "Nie Jinshan, did you forget what I told you? If you go with us two, who will guard the dragon veins of Great Xia?! Do not forget, you are now the first-generation commander-in-chief of Great Xia, not some ignorant child!
Do not let your personal emotions override reason anymore! What you should care about is this world, not the Marquis and me."
Nie Jinshan looked at that familiar face, and恍惚间, it was as if he had returned to that rainy day in his childhood... His fists clenched tightly, and after a long period of struggle, he finally took a deep breath.
"Yes, Gongyang elder."
Huo Qubing's gaze swept across each commander-in-chief's face, his eyes revealing praise and relief.
He had guarded the national destiny for over two thousand years. Nearly every person here had grown up under his watchful eye, from first showing talent, to climbing step by step to become commander-in-chief, to finally falling in battle and arriving at this Island... Each and every one of them was a successor Huo Qubing approved of.
Fortunately,
Even if this world lost Huo Qubing, there were still these juniors, leading humanity step by step to where they were today.
"This Marquis... takes his leave..."
Huo Qubing withdrew his gaze, stepped forward with one foot, and when his form appeared again, it was already hundreds of miles in the high atmosphere, with Gongyang Wan's figure following closely behind!
He looked down at the white chess piece in his hand, and within his eyes, battle intent dormant for thousands of years ignited once more!
A soft click sounded, and he crushed this chess piece into powder, scattered by the raging wind...
"Hidden for two thousand years, now it is time to take our own step forward."