"You've got it all under your skin! We've been the ones practicing all this time!"
"This Zeze is just lame."
"I've mastered the ultimate skill!"
Me too.
"..."
Qin Ze waved his hand dismissively.
"Your cultivation is the same as my cultivation; it's the same thing."
All clones. "*##*%..."
The Great Sage rose and addressed the dozens of students before him, saying, "I have taught you everything I could."
"I only hope that you will never betray the name Blue Flame, no matter what."
The students chanted in unison, "The blue flame will never fade, and the burning passion will live on forever."
The scene disappeared.
Brother Devour came back from downstairs.
"You all saw the skeletons below?"
The Giant Overlord said calmly, "I reckon he really is practicing some kind of evil technique."
"There were no signs of fighting at the scene; they died instantly."
Qin Ze looked at the skeleton on the chair. "Is the Great Sage bad?"
But judging from the scene shown on the Image Recording Stone, it doesn't seem like that.
He devoted himself wholeheartedly to the development of the Blue Flame Race.
They're much better than some of the lousy, incompetent Human Race.
It is rare in the world for someone in a superior position to be so serious about ordinary people in a subordinate position.
The Brother Devour said to the Image Recording Stone, "Only it can give us the answer."
"Why is the tape stuck again?" The Dharma King kicked the Image Recording Stone twice, and a white light appeared.
"Alright."
The Dharma King gave a thumbs up.
In the scene that plays again, the Great Sage sits in his chair with a worried expression.
He suddenly stood up and started walking upstairs, and Qin Ze and the others quickly followed.
"It seems that the Image Recording Stone records only images of the Great Sage during his lifetime," Qin Ze thought to himself.
The very top floor of the tower.
The walls around the room are covered with colorful murals.
It was almost identical to what Qin Ze had seen before.
The scene is more complete and the colors are richer.
At the center of the top floor, two statues hold a ball of blue flame the size of half a basketball.
The flames flickered gently, burning quietly.
When the Great Sage approached the flames, they burned noticeably more intensely.
The Great Sage smiled, then said in a deep voice:
Can we overcome this crisis?
A small flame leaped onto the back of the Great Sage's hand, as if in response.
The Great Sage gazed at the flames and fell into deep thought.
After a long pause, he said, "I understand."
The flames returned to the fire, and the Great Sage descended the stairs.
Qin Ze took a deep look at the ball of blue flame, and he seemed to have figured out what this fire was.
Boom--
Suddenly, a deafening explosion rang out outside.
Qin Ze followed the Great Sage quickly to the window and saw thick black smoke rising outside the city.
" Great Sage, something has happened!"
A young man rushed up.
A large number of giant beasts have appeared in the North Ridge, and the guards hope you can go and provide assistance.
The Great Sage nodded. "I understand."
The Great Sage stood on the windowsill and leaped down.
In mid-air, his entire body burst into blue flames, and he soared into the sky like a dragon raising its head, rushing rapidly towards the direction of the black smoke.
Playback was interrupted, and the Image Recording Stone began changing discs.
"Holy crap!"
"Could the giant beast they're talking about be some kind of alien monster?"
Dharma King's Way.
Qin Ze: "It's highly likely. This world also appears to be facing a crisis of alien beasts, seemingly more severe than what Human Race is facing."
Although he was still unclear about the specific operating mechanism of Penglai City, the existence of Penglai City as an intermediary undoubtedly blocked the alien beasts from directly attacking this world.
However, the Blue Flame Realm does not seem to have its own " Penglai City ".
That's a bit difficult.
In the history of the Pan-Continent, before the establishment of Penglai City, the release of strange beasts was rampant.
Many cities were destroyed, and many people died.
The situation only improved after Penglai City appeared.
Playback continues.
Three men dressed in formal attire reported to the Great Sage.
"This is the eighth year since the giant beast appeared, and the Biological Research Institute still hasn't made any breakthroughs."
"The eastern frontier has now completely fallen, and the horde of giant beasts is advancing towards the capital."
"Students from the academy are requesting to go to the front lines, Council receives a large number of joint petitions for deployment every day."
"Nearly half of the cultivators have been killed or injured, and the medical system is nearly paralyzed."
"..."
The Great Sage looked extremely tired.
His right shoulder was wrapped in thick bandages, the center of which was soaked in blood.
The Great Sage paused for a moment, then said, "Tell the Council that the final plan can be initiated."
All three were taken aback upon hearing this.
"Yes."
The Great Sage sighed deeply.
Where did the giant beast come from?
This problem had troubled him for many years.
The investigations by Council and the Biological Research Institute have so far failed to determine the cause.
This time there was no more tape jamming, and the scene changed quickly.
The setting sun shone in, bathing the room in a dark golden light.
Explosions could be heard continuously outside the window.
Qin Ze walked to the window; the giant beasts were already at the city gates.
The streets were no longer peaceful and tranquil; people were in a panic, running around in all directions.
The guards maintained order on the streets and gave directions to the public.
More than a dozen elegantly dressed elderly men stood inside the house, discussing matters with the Great Sage.
"The guards discovered a gate leading to the Abyss deep within the North Ridge. Now that they've blocked it, is there any hope of saving the situation?"
The Great Sage shook his head. "It's too late. The Gate of the Abyss are now fully open."
"If we had discovered it a few years earlier, we would still have had a chance to cut it off."
The elderly men remained silent.
After a long silence, the eldest among them spoke, "If we do this, can the Blue Flame Civilization continue?"
The Great Sage smiled bitterly, "I don't know, but this is our only chance."
"The capital city, along with the entire Eastern Domain, is being separated from the main world; the smaller is being sacrificed to save the greater."
"I have no other choice."
The elder murmured, "The foundation of the world has been damaged; I wonder if it can ever be restored."
Even if the division is completed, the remaining part of the world will wander in the Abyss. Without the protection of the World Will, it's uncertain how long such a wandering civilization can continue.
The Great Sage said solemnly, "Even wandering is better than dying in the jaws of giant beasts."
"The younger generation has all mastered the improved version of the Fire Movement Technique. I will leave two-thirds of the Source of the World to them, and use the remaining one-third for World Severing."
"As long as the blue flames don't die out, they will one day burn brightly again."
The elders had no further objections, but asked, "How much more source energy is needed to initiate the Severance Plan?"
The Great Sage replied, "Ten thousand."
The older man nodded. "Give me half an hour."
The group left one after another.
As he reached the door, the elderly man paused. "Are you sure you want to stay?"
The Great Sage nodded, his tone resolute. "I am the Chosen One of this world, and the final Severance Plan must be completed by me."
The older man said, "But the young men need you too."
The Great Sage simply smiled, "No one is needed forever. Their wings have grown strong enough to choose a new leader."
The old man nodded thoughtfully and gently closed the door.
The Great Sage opened his palm, and a ball of blue flame burned quietly.
This is our last chance.