Silent Monuments, Names Engraved Across the Starry Sea

Earth.

This planet, which bears the legacy of Huaxia civilization, not only houses modern human birthing facilities, but also contains a special forbidden area: the Protected Area Ruins.

This place preserves traces of the Great Nirvana Era nearly 10,000 years ago: the ruins of a dilapidated city, the rusted walls of a military camp, lurking hordes of mutated monsters, as well as a museum that records the sparks of civilization and a cemetery where martyrs are buried.

Luo Feng and Tang Ping walked side by side ahead, their gazes sweeping over the broken walls and ruins along the way, their eyes filled with an undisguised longing.

Luo Ping followed closely behind, slowing his pace and speaking in a deep voice to introduce the past of this site to the two of them.

"Ever since the last internal strife within the Luo Family, in which countless people betrayed their master, our Earth Lineage has placed paramount importance on the assessment of character and morality. No matter how outstanding one's talent, if one's character fails the test, there is absolutely no way one can enter the core of the Luo Family."

This ruin is the key site for the test of one's character.

He paused, then continued, "Every year, high school graduates who enjoy free education are given a test of character after passing basic skills and cultural assessments."

One of the activities is to visit the museum within the ruins to learn about the history of civilization, and to pay respects to the martyrs at the cemetery. During this time, one might encounter unexpected events such as a beast tide, which serves to test their character and sense of responsibility.

Luo Feng nodded slightly, stopped at the top of an abandoned bridge, and gazed into the distance.

As the sun sets, the sky is painted a deep crimson by the afterglow of the sunset, casting long shadows across the ruins. Weeds grow rampant beneath the bridge, and rusted vehicle wreckage litters the road, with bloodstains embedded in the cracked surface, creating a desolate and lonely scene.

Terrifying mutated monsters occasionally roam through the ruins.

When Luo Feng's gaze fell upon a one -Single-Horned Wild Boar, his eyes flickered slightly. This wild boar was covered in bristles that resembled black steel spikes, and a single, dark gray horn pointed straight forward, sharp as a dagger.

"Back when I first reached the Warrior Level, it was the Fire Hammer Squad that led me deep into the wilderness for the first time," Luo Feng's voice carried a hint of reminiscence. "The first monster I hunted was this kind of Single-Horned Wild Boar."

Although the process went relatively smoothly, I was incredibly nervous. Only when I successfully killed it did my heart finally settle down. It was then that I realized these seemingly bloodthirsty and brutal mutated monsters were not invincible.

"Dad's amazing!" Luo Ping's eyes were full of admiration.

Tang Ping smiled and gave a thumbs up, "Fengzi, you're something else! No wonder you're a tough guy who fought your way out of Earth!"

Luo Feng's lips twitched slightly as he silently grumbled to himself.

When Tang Ping was weak, he always addressed the family head as "Patriarch." Later, as his strength increased, he changed his address to "Brother Feng." Now, he directly calls him "Fengzi." At this rate, if his strength increases further, who knows what even more outrageous titles he might come up with.

The three continued deeper into the ruins when Luo Feng suddenly asked, "By the way, how are those old buddies from the Fire Hammer Squad doing?"

Luo Ping immediately responded, "With the Luo Family's resources and full support, they have all broken through to the Universe Level of cultivation. They can be considered powerful figures in the Milky Way Galaxy and even within the Black Dragon Mountain Empire."

However, given their current resources, breaking through to the Domain Lord level would be extremely difficult.

Luo Feng nodded upon hearing this. "If they can comprehend a domain, immediately arrange for them to be allocated enough resources to break through to the ninth level of the Domain Lord; if they still cannot break through, then let nature take its course."

As brothers, he has done more than enough; he has shown the utmost kindness and loyalty.

"Yes, Dad," Luo Ping replied respectfully.

Tang Ping, listening from the side, was filled with envy. He gave a thumbs up again and teased, "Tsk tsk tsk, is this what brotherhood between big shots looks like? It's a pity I was born too late. If I could have been born in the same era as you, Fengzi, and followed you, I wouldn't have had to suffer so much."

Luo Feng looked at him:???

Has he ever suffered? It seems he has. After all, he was an orphan. Even with the Luo Family's support, if he hadn't been clever and perceptive, he probably would have been schemed against by those covetous relatives and scheming people in the community, who would have swallowed up his meager family fortune long ago.

Thinking of this, Luo Feng's mood suddenly brightened.

Compared to that, I am much happier. Although my family was poor when I was young, my family was harmonious and my brothers were united. Later, I married the love of my life and had two excellent sons.

Based on that calculation, he's won big!

With his mind at ease, Luo Feng couldn't help but chuckle softly.

Tang Ping, standing to the side, was completely baffled and muttered to himself: What's this guy laughing about all of a sudden? He's definitely up to no good; he's probably thinking of some terrible idea to trick me.

Alas, the world beyond the Human Race Territory is indeed treacherous. How did someone who was once so simple and honest become so wicked after going out for a while? When I become the Universe Master in the future, I will definitely sweep away the gloom from this world and bring light to everyone!

However, on the other hand, among the other five top-tier clans, are there any exceptionally beautiful women?

Thinking of this, Tang Ping couldn't help but chuckle.

Luo Ping, who was following behind, was completely dumbfounded when he saw the two elders suddenly laughing one after the other.

Is this Single-Horned Wild Boar funny?

However, since the elders were all laughing, he naturally couldn't spoil the fun. Luo Ping hesitated for a moment, then laughed along with them.

The three exchanged a glance, and the next second, a hearty laugh echoed across the ruins.

Haha~

The laughter instantly startled the nearby birds and beasts. Various monsters scattered and fled. Some birds crashed into the ruins in their panic, while some wild boars buried their heads in the ground, leaving only half of their buttocks sticking out, looking like they were burying their heads in the sand.

In their fragmented memories, one understanding is etched with unparalleled clarity: in this world, those terrifying bipedal apes are the true rulers!

Occasionally, they would recall those horrifying images: the hominids roasting their cousins' remains over a fire, then feasting on the golden-brown limbs while drinking and laughing loudly.

Every time they think about these things, they tremble in the dead of night.

That's terrifying!

The three continued their slow journey through the protected area. Midway through, a golden figure suddenly streaked through the clouds, accompanied by a piercing whooshing sound.

"It's the Black-Crowned Golden Eagle!" Luo Feng's eyes suddenly lit up. "Back then, it was the third-ranked King-level monster among eagle-type monsters."

He added, "Adult Black-Crowned Golden Eagle can reach a length of 21 meters and a wingspan of 36 meters. Their top speed can exceed Mach 3.9, which is 3.9 times the speed of sound. At the speed of sound of 340 meters per second, their maximum speed is 1326 meters per second, which translates to a speed of 4774 kilometers per hour."

Tang Ping had long heard of the Black-Crowned Golden Eagle's reputation, but when he heard the specific figure of "1326 meters per second," he couldn't help but hold his breath.

In a second, in the blink of an eye, this golden eagle can leap over a kilometer away.

Terrifying!

The next second, the three figures moved slightly and appeared beside the three panicked Black-Crowned Golden Eagle.

Before the golden eagles could attack, the three of them each picked one up, slung it over their backs, and rode it freely through the skies above the protected area.

The whistling wind swept past their ears, and the ruins below were spread out before their eyes. Only when they flew over the Earth Cemetery did the three release their grip, letting the three golden eagles flap their wings in panic and flee, leaving only a few golden feathers with a metallic sheen in their wake.

Before leaving, Tang Ping casually gave the golden eagle under his legs a large sinus, causing the eagle to let out a shrill cry, which would probably leave it with a lifelong psychological trauma.

Hehehe~

Earth, Huaxia, Heroes Cemetery.

A cold wind swept through the forest of steles, carrying withered leaves and making a soft rustling sound.

Tang Ping and the other two instinctively slowed their footsteps and adopted solemn expressions.

Looking up, countless tombstones stand quietly among the pines and cypresses, each inscribed with a name, birth and death dates, telling a legend written with life.

Without these people, none of us would be where we are today. Perhaps, even the existence of Earth itself would have long been lost in the dust of the universe.

In January 2015, the R-Type Virus mutated into its most terrifying variant: the RR Virus.

Luo Feng's voice was low and hoarse.

"This virus has a mortality rate as high as 30%. In just three months, the global population plummeted by two billion. Those three months were the darkest nightmare in the history of human civilization. Countless top scientists and medical experts exhausted their life's knowledge and devoted their lives to the fight against the RR Virus, yet they had no chance to resist it."

"And then—the disaster truly began."

Luo Feng gazed into the distance, as if piercing through the barrier of time and seeing that era of blood and fire.

"Birds and beasts that survived the RR Virus infection underwent a terrifying evolution under the law of natural selection. Their bodies were reshaped by the virus, and their strength increased by hundreds or thousands of times compared to humans. Even more terrifying, some of the top monsters awakened intelligence."

"Bloody, insane."

Those four words encapsulate the hellish landscape of that era.

"From 2013 to 2021, eight years, was Great Nirvana Period for humanity. It was also a history of blood and tears paved with bones and blood for the Earth Human Race."

Countless scientists have devoted themselves to the laboratory, exhausting their efforts, all in an effort to develop a drug to fight viruses and monsters;

Countless warriors gripped their weapons, using their flesh and blood to build a Great Wall against the beast tide; countless nameless heroes, in the darkest hour before dawn, burned themselves out to illuminate the path for humanity's survival.

It was they who repeatedly pulled human civilization back from the brink of extinction. And behind all of this was sacrifice.

"A hero who single-handedly slew Tiger-Headed Monster Dragon on the banks of the Yangtze River, saving hundreds of thousands of people and protecting them as they moved to Jiangnan Base, ultimately dying from exhaustion in battle."

Luo Feng's gaze fell on a tombstone engraved with the three characters "Dong Nanbiao," and he said respectfully, "He was from Taixing, Jiangsu, and died at the young age of thirty-nine. That day was June 16, 2018."

Less than six months after Dong Nanbiao's sacrifice, the Earthling plummeted to three billion. A disaster killed more than half of our people. The elderly almost disappeared, and those who survived were mostly strong and healthy young people.

Humanity has been driven to the brink of despair.

It wasn't until Brother Hong and Thunder God Thor appeared out of nowhere, sweeping away most of the super monsters on land with lightning speed, and confronting the royal-level monsters in the depths of the ocean, that humanity finally got a chance to breathe.

One after another, Base City sprang up, becoming humanity's last refuge in the apocalypse.

In the days following the establishment of the Base City, the onslaught of beast tides never ceased. Each wave of attacks was accompanied by earth-shattering battles and endless sacrifices, and also gave birth to countless moving legends.

Luo Feng stood before the grave of Lu Gang, the God of War.

This mighty War God Level powerhouse could have escaped unscathed from the overwhelming swarm of rats, but he did not.

He chose to stay, using his own flesh and blood to block the path of the rat horde, buying precious time for the people behind him to evacuate. In the end, he was overwhelmed by the monstrous tide, leaving no trace of his body.

And those soldiers who died in battle.

They were once someone's husband, someone's father, someone's son. They also had families they cared about and small homes they wanted to protect. But faced with the greater good of humanity, they resolutely picked up their guns and went to the most dangerous battlefield.

Luo Feng's eyes gradually reddened as he recalled the tragedy that was about to unfold.

At that time, he had risen to become one of the strongest beings on Earth, and it seemed that he was about to lead humanity out of the crisis and into the vast universe. But no one expected that a Golden Horned Beast would descend upon Earth without warning.

That was a catastrophic disaster.

In the critical moment, Hong and Thunder God were the first to step forward. They burned their Origin Force and their souls, and in a near-self-destructive manner, they severely injured the Golden Horned Beast.

Luo Feng, on the other hand, used the secret technique of the Falling Ink Star to absorb the remaining soul power of the Five Great Heroes.

Finally, he also burned his own soul, gathering a desperate attack, and with the help of the Inheritance Soul Seal left by Hu Yanbo, he barely managed to seize the body of the Golden Horned Beast, thus averting this world-ending crisis for Earth.

Without the sacrifices of these people, Earth would have perished long ago. And Luo Feng might have already become a prisoner of the Alien Race.

Luo Feng took a deep breath, stepped forward, and respectfully offered incense, burned paper money, and poured wine for the tombstone.

The wine slowly seeped into the soil.

Finally, he turned to Tang Ping, his gaze intense. "Brother Ping, each of these heroes had a reason not to sacrifice themselves. With their strength, it wouldn't have been difficult for them to take their families and find a place to hide."

"Especially Easter," Luo Feng's voice deepened, "He is the fourth strongest person on Earth, with no relatives or friends, all alone. He could have stood by and watched, without getting involved in this catastrophe."

"But they all stood up."

"From these predecessors, I learned two words: perseverance." Luo Feng's eyes were incredibly firm. "To live, one must have one's own convictions, one's own perseverance. More importantly, one must understand why a martial artist fights."

"To protect."

Protect those I love, and protect those who love me.

1

"It is this willpower that has sustained me through countless hardships and obstacles, allowing me to get to where I am today."

Luo Feng said earnestly, "Brother Ping, I've always believed that a person should shoulder responsibilities commensurate with their abilities. If everyone only thinks about doing whatever they want and shirking their responsibilities, then what future do we Human Race have?"

"If everyone only cares about themselves, stands by and watches others die, then who will come to your rescue when disaster strikes you?"

Brother Ping, I'm not asking anything of you. I just feel that each of us should do our part. Only then can we have a clear conscience and a clear conscience before heaven and earth.

Tang Ping remained silent, his brows furrowed, as if pondering the deeper meaning behind those words.

A moment later, his eyes suddenly lit up. "So everyone has their own path, something they want to protect. My path is pleasure! Anyone who dares to block my path to pleasure, I'll take them down!"

Luo Feng:

Looking at Tang Ping's serious expression, his lips twitched, and all the emotions he felt were instantly swallowed back.

So you're completely stubborn, aren't you!

Luo Feng shook his head helplessly, turned around, and looked again at the five tombstones standing side by side.

Mohanderson, the strongest man in America, was once recognized as the third strongest man on Earth. After a battle with Luo Feng, he willingly stepped down to fourth place, displaying an open and upright character and the spirit of a hero.

Easter, a top powerhouse in Europa, Planetary Rank Spirit Reader. Great Nirvana Period, his entire family perished, leaving him all alone. Yet, when humanity faced peril, he chose to sacrifice himself for a greater cause.

Tripati Singh, the pillar of India Vatican, guarded his territory with his fierce courage.

Sokolov, the Soviet's chief military leader, spent his life on the battlefield, never ceasing his service until his death.

Jia Yi, a soldier, once told Luo Feng: "For a soldier, sacrificing oneself for the country is the greatest honor."

The wind blew again, carrying the fresh scent of grass and trees.

In Luo Feng's ears, he seemed to hear the roars of fighting alongside the Fire Hammer Squad, the sound of war drums on the Base City, and the shouts of heroes charging into battle.

But when he turned around, all those sounds disappeared. What came into view were vehicles floating in the air in the distance, skyscrapers rising from the ground, and Floating City shrouded in a soft halo.

Ten thousand years of change have transformed the sea into mulberry fields.

Earth is no longer the planet struggling to survive in the apocalypse.

It transformed from Luo Feng's hometown, which he desperately protected, into a legendary place renowned throughout the universe because of him. Ever since he crossed the Primal Tongtian Mountain, Earth's status has risen dramatically, and now even the birth quota for a single woman has increased to ten million Ganwu Coin.

Looking at everything before him, Luo Feng slowly curled a smile at the corner of his mouth.

Perhaps, this is the meaning of his life's struggle.

Not only do I want to reach the summit myself, but I also want my hometown to shine forever in the vast sea of stars.

But the story of the Galaxy Lord has only just begun.

May my Human Race Yongheng, great, and immortal!