Carved from a single, massive block of golden stone and standing a thousand feet tall, the statue depicted three heroes: Qian Renxue stood in the center, a pair of colossal angelic wings spread behind her. Her face was gentle yet resolute, her gaze looking into the distance as if eternally guarding this land. Lin Mo stood on Qian Renxue's left, his Holy Angel Abyssal Dragon Emperor Martial Soul unfurled, his blue-and-gold interwoven wings blotting out the sun. His eyes were sharp, and nine soul rings orbited his body, radiating potent fluctuations of power. Zhao Feng stood on Qian Renxue's right, tightly gripping the Divine Conviction Battleaxe. The axe head was inscribed with intricate runes, and a golden light of conviction shot into the sky. His eyes were steadfast, brimming with the will to protect.
Beneath the statue, a line of large characters was carved: "The heroic spirits are immortal; our guardianship will never cease. Dedicated to the memory of the three heroes—Qian Renxue, Lin Mo, and Zhao Feng—and to all the heroic spirits who sacrificed themselves to protect the Douluo Continent."
In front of the statue lay a sprawling plaza, packed with people. There were Soul Masters, ordinary civilians, the elderly, and children. Every face was filled with smiles, yet their eyes held a trace of reverence and remembrance. Today was the Centennial Commemoration Day—a day to remember the tragic battle from a hundred years ago, but also a day to celebrate a century of peace and development.
A white-haired elder stood before the statue. He wore a flowing white robe and held an ancient staff, atop which sat a fist-sized golden gemstone that pulsed with a dense power of conviction. The elder's face was benevolent, but his eyes were as sharp as an eagle's. The powerful fluctuations of soul power radiating from him made it unmistakably clear—he was a Limit Douluo.
"Friends," the elder began, his voice aged yet powerful as it echoed across the plaza. "A century has passed, and the heroic spirits have departed, but their will remains forever etched in our hearts. Over the past century, guided by the will of those heroic spirits, our Douluo Continent has united as one and strived for progress, achieving unprecedented accomplishments."
"A century ago, Lord Lin Mo left behind a seal that completely locked the Void Space passage. For a hundred years, not a single Void creature has been able to set foot on our land. The major sects, the two great empires, the Heroic Spirits Academy, and the Void-Suppressing Army have worked seamlessly together to cultivate countless outstanding Soul Masters. Our number of Soul Masters has increased tenfold compared to a century ago; our number of Titled Douluos has increased fivefold; and our number of Limit Douluos has reached ten!"
A wave of enthusiastic applause and cheers erupted across the plaza, the civilians' faces beaming with proud smiles.
"More importantly, we have developed a method to permanently close the Void Space passage!" The elder's voice grew even more impassioned. "After a century of research, we have finally located the root of the Void Space passage. As long as we gather the power of ten Limit Douluos and combine it with the power of conviction within the Monument of Heroic Spirits, we can completely close the passage and eradicate the threat of the Void Space forever!"
The cheers grew even louder; some civilians were so overcome with emotion that tears streamed down their faces. A century—it had been a whole century, and they had finally waited for this day. They could finally rid themselves of the Void Space threat once and for all, and finally allow the heroic spirits to truly rest in peace.
"Now, I invite the ten Limit Douluos to ascend the Monument of Heroic Spirits and prepare to seal the passage!" the elder proclaimed.
Ten Limit Douluos stepped out from the crowd—men and women, young and old. Each radiated powerful fluctuations of soul power. Every single one of them was a top-tier expert of the Douluo Continent, an elite cultivated over the past century.
Su Chen walked at the very front. He was now at the peak of the Limit Douluo realm, his Light Dragon Hawk Martial Soul cultivated to the absolute pinnacle. His golden wings unfurled, emitting a dazzling radiance. His gaze was steadfast, overflowing with confidence. Over the past century, inheriting Zhao Feng's will, he had served as the Commander of the Void-Suppressing Army and the Dean of the Heroic Spirits Academy, cultivating countless outstanding Soul Masters and making immense contributions to the continent's development.
The ten Limit Douluos ascended the Monument of Heroic Spirits, standing directly beneath the colossal statue. Hand in hand, they condensed their soul power and channeled it into the monument. The Monument of Heroic Spirits instantly erupted with blinding golden light. Within the radiance, the phantoms of countless heroic spirits emerged—there were the nameless guardians from a millennium ago, Lin Mo, Zhao Feng, and Qian Renxue who sacrificed themselves a century ago, and all the soldiers who had given their lives to protect this land.
Those phantoms wore smiles, their eyes brimming with solace and blessing. They looked down at the ten Limit Douluos, looked at the crowds in the plaza, as if whispering: "You have done remarkably well. We are at peace."
A golden pillar of light shot up from the Monument of Heroic Spirits, blasting toward the spatial passage deep within the Void Desert. The spatial passage trembled violently, its cracks continuously expanding as endless Void power surged forth from within, attempting to resist the impact of the golden pillar. But the golden pillar contained the power of conviction of countless heroic spirits, possessing an extreme restraining effect on the Void power. Under the golden pillar's bombardment, the Void power continuously melted away and dissipated.
Boom—!
With a deafening roar, the spatial passage shattered completely. Countless fragments dissolved into specks of light and vanished into the air. Deprived of the passage's anchor, the Void power rapidly dissipated, unable to condense ever again. The space within the Void Desert regained its stability, and the spatial rifts that had once torn the earth apart healed completely.
The golden pillar of light slowly faded, and the phantoms on the Monument of Heroic Spirits gradually disappeared. But before vanishing, every single phantom wore a smile of profound relief and gratification, as if saying: "Our mission is complete. We can finally rest."
Deafening cheers erupted across the plaza. Civilians embraced one another, faces streaming with tears, while Soul Masters raised their weapons high and howled to the heavens. A century of effort, the sacrifices of countless heroic spirits, had finally culminated in absolute victory.
Su Chen stood upon the Monument of Heroic Spirits, looking down at the cheering crowds, a glint of tears in his eyes. He recalled the tragic battle a century ago, remembered his fallen comrades, and remembered the final entrustments of Zhao Feng and Lin Mo. Now, he had finally fulfilled their dying wishes, finally eliminating the threat of the Void Space once and for all.
"Commander Zhao Feng, Lord Lin Mo, Lord Qian Renxue," Su Chen murmured, his voice slightly choked. "Are you watching? We won. We won completely. Your sacrifices were not in vain. We will continue to protect this land, and the will of the heroic spirits will be inherited by us forever."
Sunlight cascaded down, illuminating the Monument of Heroic Spirits, bathing the statue of the three heroes, and shining upon the cheering crowds. Everything seemed so warm, so beautiful.
On a distant mountain peak, two ethereal figures stood quietly, observing everything below, gratified smiles gracing their faces.
"Lin Mo, look... they've done remarkably well," Zhao Feng's voice was soft and fleeting, yet it carried a deep sense of solace.
"Yes," Lin Mo nodded, his own silhouette just as translucent. "Our sacrifices were not in vain. With them guarding this land, we can finally be at peace."
"Lord Qian Renxue, what do you think?" Zhao Feng turned his head, looking toward the pristine white figure standing beside them.
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