Chapter 115: Guarding the Realm's Gate!

Beneath the Steel Great Wall.

Lin Fan stepped off the vehicle. Viewing the Steel Great Wall from such close proximity filled one with the sensation of looking up at a gargantuan beast; this was a colossal barrier designed to hold back the ocean. It was hard to imagine that such a wall, spanning the horizon, had been built by human hands—and in the span of only one month.

However, Lin Fan had no time to admire the structure. Guided by Elder Jin, he stepped through a massive gate built into the wall. The moment he entered, he froze.

"This... what is going on?" The design blueprints Lin Fan had provided called for the interior of the Steel Great Wall to be filled with concrete and reinforced with new materials. Yet, upon entering, he was met with corridors and rows upon rows of rooms. Soldiers darted back and forth. A quick glance revealed dormitories, ammunition depots, and latrines. The number of elevators was staggering; there were at least thirty of them just at the entrance.

"These are Elder Chen's modifications," Elder Jin said softly as he led Lin Fan toward an elevator. "Elder Chen believed that if the gods were to descend suddenly, the soldiers would need time to mobilize and reach the top of the wall. And time is life—not a single second can be wasted."

"So, after three days of sleepless design work, Elder Chen cleared out space inside the wall without compromising its structural integrity, turning it into dormitories and training grounds for fifty million soldiers. To ensure every soldier can reach their combat position immediately, and to facilitate the transport of weaponry and heavy equipment, there is a staircase every fifty meters, thirty elevators every hundred meters, and a heavy-duty lifting platform every two hundred meters. Behind the Steel Great Wall, a temporary airfield is stationed every fifty kilometers, fully fueled and capable of launching three hundred fighter jets."

Lin Fan’s expression shifted. "This is madness! If the wall is breached, the soldiers inside won't even have a place to hide!"

Just then, a soldier entering the elevator with them spoke up loudly: "Report to the Commander-in-Chief! As long as we are here, the wall will not fall! If the wall falls, we die! We swear to live and die with the Steel Great Wall!"

Lin Fan turned to look at the soldier, his eyes reddening. "Madness..."

"He is right," Elder Jin said gravely. "In truth, this was the suggestion that I and the heads of the various military regions gave to Elder Chen. It isn't just these soldiers; the regional commanders and military leaders are all living and sleeping inside this wall. As long as we are alive, this wall will not fall! If this wall falls, it will only be because we are all dead! Otherwise, what are we here for? We are soldiers! As long as we draw breath, how could we let those beings step even half a pace into our Great Xia?"

Elder Jin patted Lin Fan on the shoulder. "In this Great Xia, you are not alone."

For a moment, Lin Fan was speechless. He had thought himself the only madman, conceiving of such a wild idea as the Steel Great Wall. But he had not expected that Elder Jin, Elder Chen, these fifty million soldiers, and all the people of Great Xia were even madder than he was. They were actually living inside the wall itself. Fifty million soldiers, from top to bottom, had sworn to perish with the ramparts. Fifty million people had placed their lives on the line just to guard the borders of their nation. They would rather die than let the gods set foot in Great Xia.

Indeed. He was not alone in this Great Xia. These soldiers were no different from him. The blood flowing through their veins was the same—the blood of five thousand years.

Lin Fan looked at the resolute eyes of Elder Jin and ceased his protests. He knew there was no point in trying to dissuade them. "Save a room for me," he said.

What happened next surprised him even more. The elevator ascended to the top of the Steel Great Wall at breakneck speed. The ride was far from comfortable; the moment the lift stopped, Lin Fan felt the momentum of his own body surging upward. But at a time like this, no one cared for comfort, and no one paid it any mind.

*Clang.*

The elevator doors opened. Lin Fan stepped onto the summit of the Steel Great Wall. Before him, and far below his feet, the vast ocean churned. The mighty sea roared, while behind him lay the land of Great Xia.

Armed soldiers stood guard along the length of the wall, while workers busied themselves installing artillery, mounting heavy machine guns, setting up missile launch sites, and constructing anti-aircraft fire nets. This Steel Great Wall was not built merely for defense; it was built to strike back at the gods.

People rarely grasp the true weight of the word "nation" in daily life. But standing on this wall, seeing the backs of all these people working toward a single goal, the word transformed into something akin to faith.

"Hoo."

Lin Fan breathed in the salty sea air and began to walk along the ramparts. But the next moment—

"You’ve arrived."

A voice reached him from behind. It was calm, steady, and hauntingly familiar. Lin Fan’s body stiffened, and he turned slowly.

When he saw the figure smiling at him, he froze. "State... State Leader!"

The man before him was indeed the State Leader. And he was not alone. Beside him were Shang Weitian and a group of Great Xia’s senior elders. There were executive members of the Privy Council, along with ministers from the Departments of Commerce, Resources, Territory, and Security. The leaders of every department and the governors of every province were present. Every one of their lives was of critical importance, yet they stood here on this wall as the danger loomed.

"Elder State Leader," Lin Fan said, his voice tense, almost scolding. "Why are you and the others here? Shouldn't you be in the capital, directing the overall strategy?"

"I am the State Leader of Great Xia. Is it not allowed for me to stand on the soil of my own country?" The State Leader did not mind Lin Fan’s tone; he merely smiled at him.

"No, that’s not what I mean. I know the gods will descend in a week, but things could go wrong, and it could happen at any second... You must go back!" Lin Fan was frantic. "If something happens to you—"

"Heh." The old man looked out at the vast, beautiful landscape behind them, then back at the surging, boundless sea. "In our five thousand years of history, there hasn't been much written about how a ruler should behave. But there was one emperor who did what a monarch ought to do. In the seventeenth year of the Ming dynasty, the Chongzhen Emperor went to his death, the Son of Heaven guarding the national gate. I, Zhang Maoyuan, am no emperor, nor would I dare compare myself to Chongzhen. But as a man of Great Xia, I, too, am willing to guard the gate for my one billion four hundred million people."

State Leader Zhang Maoyuan stood atop the four-thousand-mile wall, his frail, aged frame standing tall with his hands behind his back, overlooking the ocean.